The Sleeper Awakens
by LadyDeb1970
Summary: Third in the Birthright series, sequel to 'The Rising' and 'Torn Asunder.'  Sophia Tregarth awakens sooner than anticipated, leading to the revelation of secrets with devastating repercussions for her long-time friend, Captain Jack Harkness.
1. Prologue:  Somebody's Baby

Disclaimer: Captain Jack Harkness, Agent Rex Matheson, Esther Drummond and Torchwood as a whole do not belong to me, but to BBC and Starz Studios. The Tregarth family does belong to me. . .I don't mind if you borrow particular members. . .just ask first and return them to me alive and as close to unscathed as possible.

Author's Notes: This is the third story in the _Birthright_ series. The first two stories are _The Rising_, which saw the reunion of Jack Harkness with his old friend, the former director of Torchwood Three, Carlyon Tregarth and the rescue of Esther Drummond from the Families, and _Torn Asunder_, in which a new Rift opens a short distance from the Tregarth homestead in Oklahoma and the two former directors of Torchwood Three (Jack and Carlyon) create a new Torchwood branch. As mentioned previously, in this story, Carlyon's wife Sophia awakens and secrets with devastating repercussions are revealed.

The Sleeper Awakens

Prologue

Somebody's Baby

Three and a half months after the end of Miracle Day

One week after the formation of Torchwood America

Home of the Tregarth family, Oklahoma

She never liked coming to this room, even before she found out just who was resting in the cryo-unit. Okay, it wasn't actually a cryo-unit. . .not the point. To the best of her knowledge, there was no real term for this, unless it was 'stasis unit.' _Nice try at distraction_, she thought sourly, _but it failed. . .epically_. And even now, she didn't really want to be here, but this was the only place where she could find some semblance of peace, where she didn't have worried or pitying looks plaguing her. . .where her desire to deck Jack wouldn't hurt anyone but herself. Natalie Tregarth leaned forward, allowing her forehead to rest against the cool metal of the cryo-unit. She didn't know what was happening to her, but she wanted it to stop. Ever since she returned from her undercover assignment, her emotions were running out of control, and she hated it.

Normally, Jack's teasing didn't bother her. He was a good man from a time far from her own, and he didn't always understand things of this time. More to the point, he didn't understand why people took certain things seriously and he wasn't always familiar with 'tact.' Thus, his teasing. And that was all it was, there was no malice in his jibes, but this time. . .this time, it was too much. Dammit, she didn't even like watching a man and a woman kissing, and he hassled her about leaving when he kissed Ianto Jones? She was lost in her own frustration, with herself and with Jack, which was why she didn't notice the fluctuating vital signs. And by the time she did notice those signs, they were accompanied by banging. . .that came from inside the cryo-unit. Stasis unit. Whatever you wanted to call it.

Natalie stumbled out of her seat, only barely catching herself on the cryo-unit. She peeked down through the window, to see an obviously-terrified woman very much awake, and felt torn. . .did she get help or did she do this herself? Her decision was made for her when the woman inside the unit screamed, "Help me!" Natalie couldn't ignore that. Never mind that she could barely hear the scream. . .the words were there, on the woman's lips. She fumbled with the latches on the side of the cryo-unit, and using all of her strength, all of her frustration with Jack, shoved the top up, freeing the woman inside. She bolted upright, taking a deep breath of air, and the sound was too much like Jack when he came back to life.

But Natalie ignored those similarities, choosing instead to focus on the woman, wrapping a slim, strong arm around the woman's shoulders as she helped her out of the stasis unit. Not for the first time, she was glad it wasn't high off the ground. . .twould have been quite awkward. She felt the woman's own arms wrap around her waist as she pressed her face into Natalie's chest, shuddering with what was likely a combination of terror and cold. The brunette murmured soothing nonsense, wondering how the hell to calm down a terrified woman who just spent the last forty-five years in stasis, give or take, and stroked her hand over the newly-awakened woman's auburn hair. God, she didn't look any older than thirty-five or thirty-six, Natalie's own age! Which was about right, but still. . .it was hard to accept that this woman was in her eighties.

At last, the tremors began to ease and Natalie whispered, "Can I let go of you long enough to get you a towel and a blanket, and then we can find you clothes?" There was a shaky laugh, and the woman nodded and carefully removed her arms from Natalie's waist. However, before she turned her attention to finding at least a robe and some towels, Natalie made sure she was leaning against the unit where she spent so many years and stable. With the woman (her grandmother) safe for the moment, Natalie turned her attention to finding the bathrobe which her mother put in here when Grandfather mentioned that she would be waking soon. Ahh, there it was! She eased the robe around the trembling woman and murmured, "Here, why don't you sit down and I'll dry your hair." Sophia Tregarth nodded and Natalie helped her into the chair which she just vacated, murmuring, "You woke up a little sooner than we realized. Hope I didn't contribute to that with my meltdown."

"Wh. . .what happened?" Sophia mumbled, adding, "Oooh, 'm so cold!" Natalie smiled sympathetically, and then beamed when she found the towel she needed. Yeah, she imagined she was cold. . .she spent more than forty-five years on ice, based on what she heard from her mother, grandfather, and aunt. Natalie shifted behind the woman, pulling the long hair away from the nape of her neck. When Sophia spoke next, her voice was more stable as she asked, "And while I'm thinking about it, what year is it? Carlyon and Mr. Colasanto weren't sure how long it would take for the virus to run its course. I told Carlyon that antidote would make things worse, rather than better, but he wouldn't listen." Natalie didn't speak at first, too focused on drying the other woman's hair. This woman was her grandmother, but she looked too close to Natalie's age to think of her as 'grandmother.' It was hard enough to think of her as her grandfather's wife, much less as her grandmother.

"In answer to your second question, the year is 2011, and it's the last full week of October. We've been debating what to do about Halloween this year," Natalie replied, and winced at the sharp inhalation of breath from the auburn-haired woman. She wasn't expecting that, evidently. _Poor woman_. She continued after a moment, "And in answer to your first question, I had an argument. . .sort of. . .with an old friend of yours, Captain Jack Harkness. He was teasing me about something which normally wouldn't upset me, and I kind of let him have it both barrels. I came in here to get some peace."

Sophia laughed a little, saying, "It takes some time to get used to Jack, I know. Oh, you're good at this. . .do you have children?" It was Natalie's turn to laugh, telling Sophia about her Ailsa. It was a nice, normal, quiet conversation between two women, between two mothers, ignoring the fact that they looked the same age and were in fact grandmother and granddaughter. So, of course, it couldn't last. As Natalie draped the damp towel over the stasis unit and began looking around for a pair of slippers, Sophia completely knocked her world for a loop by observing, "I have three daughters. . .Priscilla and Octavia are my oldest daughters, and I have my precious little Natalie. Except she isn't a little girl any more, much less a baby, not if it's 2011. If it's the last week of October, then I've come back in time for her birthday."

The words didn't register with Natalie at first. . .the slippers were proving to be more elusive than she would have thought. Honestly, everyone knew that you put bathrobes and slippers together! And then. . ._wait, __**what**_? She knew that her grandmother was pregnant with her third child when she fell so ill, and that the baby was a little girl, but. . .but Natalie was her name? Natalie, who was born at the end of October? That was a coincidence, right? She looked at Sophia Tregarth, who asked with obvious concern, "Are you all right, sweetheart, you look like you've seen a ghost. I. . .Jack? Oh, it is you!" Natalie looked toward the doorway, to find a very anxious-looking Jack Harkness standing there. In the part of her mind that was still capable of coherent thought, Natalie decided that wasn't a good expression for him. Jack should be smiling, not looking anxious. But he did.

"Sophia. . .it's good to see you. I was looking for Natalie to work out our argument, and Esther said she came in here," Jack replied. Natalie was looking from him to Sophia and back again, so she saw Sophia mouth, '_Natalie_?' when Jack mentioned her name. He closed his eyes, swallowed, and when he opened his eyes again, there was a determined light in his eyes. However, his voice was infinitely gentle as he said, "I shouldn't be the one doing this, but it seems that this responsibility is falling to me anyhow. Sophia, I'd like you to meet Miss Natalie Sophia Tregarth. . .your youngest daughter. Natalie, this is your birth mother. . .Sophia Imogen Wellington Tregarth." Natalie stared at him, seeing his mouth move but unable to hear him for the roaring in her ears. And then she was neither seeing nor hearing anything. . .not Sophia's cry of alarm nor Jack's lunge forward. . .because it was at that moment that she collapsed to the ground in a dead faint.

TBC


	2. Chapter One:  Sweet Child of Mine

Author's Notes: In this chapter, we have fallout from Jack's bombshell, Carlyon does and says things that he regrets, Rex demonstrates there's more to him than bluster, and Sophia tries to come to terms with her new reality. And I have another job interview (the third of three in the last two weeks) on Monday; so hopefully, I'll be among the gainfully employed very, VERY soon!

Chapter One

Sweet Child of Mine

Her daughter? This was her _daughter_? Even as Jack sped forward to catch the dark-haired woman before she hit the ground, Sophia Tregarth's mind was spinning with what she just learned. It was the waning months of 2011. . .which meant she lost another thirty years of her daughters' lives. All three of them: Priscilla, Octavia and Natalie. She knew Natalie was a mother now, but what about Priscilla and Octavia? And why did Jack need to introduce them? It was as if Natalie didn't know that Sophia was her mother! That didn't matter right now . . . what mattered now was taking care of her little girl, even if she wasn't sure how she could do that with atrophied muscles.

She gave thanks that Jack's reflexes were as quick as ever, catching Sophia's youngest child under her arms and gently lowering her to the ground. Jack said over his shoulder, "It's good to see you, Sophia, I'll get to you in just a minute." Sophia was having none of that. Instead, she slid out of the chair until she was on the ground, and held her arms out to Jack. He looked from the unconscious young woman to Sophia, and then nodded, shifting Natalie into Sophia's arms. Her muscles weren't as atrophied as she feared, just weak. And it didn't matter, because she was holding her daughter again. Sophia closed her eyes, savoring that sensation and the feel of her daughter's hair against her skin. To her, it was just yesterday when she last held her daughter, but she missed out on so much!

"We'll be all right, Jack, if you could get the others?" Sophia asked, the strength in her arms rapidly giving way. But she kept her child's head in her lap, and leaned against the cryo-unit that kept her alive for so many years. Jack nodded and straightened up to depart, but not before she saw the shadows in his eyes. Thirty-five years. . .Sophia knew that terrible things happened to her friend in the past. She remembered holding him through some of the nightmares that resulted from those occurrences. If Jack hadn't changed too much, she likely wouldn't find out what new things her friend endured until she heard one of his nightmares. That was fine. She could wait. It wasn't about her, it was about him.

Sophia glanced at his retreating back, before returning her attention to her child, her Natalie. Who raised her, while Sophia was in stasis? Who dried her tears when she skinned her knee or when her heart was broken for the first time? Before Jack came in search of the woman he inadvertently upset with his teasing, Natalie told her that she had a five year old daughter Ailsa, whom she adopted after the little girl's birth mother died in childbirth. She mentioned no husband (or female companion, for that matter), so evidently, she was still single. Foolish people. Maybe that was a mother's bias, but Sophia didn't think so.

As Sophia pondered the years she lost, there was a commotion in the hall, and a slim woman in her late fifties or early sixties barreled into the room. Sophia looked up, taking note of the long, dark blonde hair and brown eyes. . .eyes that widened when she saw Sophia looking up at her. She breathed, "Mama?" Sophia felt a rather large lump take up residence in her throat. Simple arithmetic told her that her oldest daughter Priscilla would be fifty-nine or sixty now. . .and Priscilla's hair was always a light brown that sometimes lightened to dark blonde when she spent a great deal of time in the sun. The woman verified this when she fell to her knees and scooted across the floor to Sophia and Natalie, whispering, "Mama, it's me, it's Priscilla!"

Sophia didn't have the strength to reach out to her daughter, but when Priscilla's arms encircled her, she allowed her head to rest on her firstborn's shoulder. It was the closest she could come to giving her daughter the hug she so desperately wanted. She whispered, "I can't hold you yet, my 'Cilla, but I will soon, I promise. 'Cilla, why was Natalie so shocked when Jack told her that I'm her mother. . .why did he say that he shouldn't have been the one who told her?" Priscilla's arms tightened around Sophia when the old nickname was used. That was the one thing she never liked about her first daughter's name, as beautiful as it was. . .the only two nicknames were 'Prissy' (_not a chance in hell_) and 'Cilla,' which was only marginally better.

"That's a long story, Mama, but we've got time, now that you're back," a new voice stated. Sophia looked up to see a stocky brunette in her late forties or early fifties framed in the doorway. Natalie was in her lap, Priscilla was draped around her like a human necklace, so that meant this was. . . The newcomer smiled sadly and said, "Yes, Mama, it's me, it's Octavia." For the second time in the last few minutes, Sophia tried to raise her hand to reach out to her daughter; and for the second time, her strength failed her. But Octavia saw the hand motion and came over to the small group, sinking to her knees beside her mother and sisters, embracing them all. Octavia buried her face in Sophia's hair, murmuring, "Not what you were expecting, I know, but I injured my back several years ago, and nature took its course."

"You are beautiful to me, Octavia, and you will _always_ be my little girl. All three of you will always be my little girls," Sophia rasped out, wishing she could hold her girls properly. Her eyes blurred and she realized tears were rolling down her cheeks. Jack stood in the doorway and smiled sadly. His eyes dropped to Natalie, and Sophia asked, "Can you get Natalie, Jack? I don't want her to wake up on the floor, can you at least find someplace comfortable for her?"

"What about you, Mama?" Octavia asked and Sophia just smiled at her middle child. At least her facial muscles were still working. She would take what she could get right now. Tavia frowned thoughtfully, and then her face brightened almost comically, as it always did when she was little and something occurred to her. This was borne out a moment later when Octavia exclaimed, "Oh, I know what! Jack, you take Natalie, and I'll go get sexy Rexy. . .he can carry Mama into the living room!" Sexy. . .Rexy? Did she _really _want to know about that? Sophia's concern was compounded when her oldest daughter groaned and dropped her face into her hands.

"Tell you what. . .you three work out who is going to carry Sophia. I'll put Nat in the spare bedroom. Sophy, in case you're wondering. . .you're still in Oklahoma and Carlyon is with a neighbor, discussing the Rift. Explanations about that can wait until later," Jack said, scooping Natalie into his arms and cradling her carefully against his chest. Rift? Oklahoma? Since when? Never mind that. Jack backed up, adding over his shoulder, "Octavia, Priscilla. . .don't tire your mother out!" And then, he carried her youngest daughter from the room, that damn coat of his billowing behind him. He always did know how to make entrances and exits. Some things never changed.

TWTWTWTWTWTW

"Jack? Did you find Nat. . .oh my. Is she all right?" Esther Drummond asked as her immediate boss and friend (and whatever else they were to each other) carried the limp body of Natalie Tregarth from the small room where her grandmother's cryo unit was kept for the last thirty plus years. He looked heroic, damn sexy, and more than a touch pissed off. However, she scrambled to her feet and followed him to the spare bedroom that she and Natalie shared with Ailsa on Esther's first night with the Tregarths.

"Sophia is awake, and I got to be the lucky idiot who broke the news to Natalie that. . . Well, you'll find out soon enough anyhow. Natalie is not Carlyon and Sophia's granddaughter. She is their daughter, Priscilla and Octavia's sister," Jack replied grimly as he oh-so-carefully settled Natalie in the bed. _Sister? Daughter_? Esther almost literally reeled back from the revelation. She knew that Natalie hadn't been eating or sleeping well lately, ever since their encounter with the Rift Guardians, and she was still struggling through the aftereffects of her months of undercover work.

Add to that, her recent argument with Jack, and maybe it shouldn't be such a surprise that Natalie's already exhausted body and mind had enough. Esther asked, "Are Priscilla and Octavia with their mother?" Jack nodded and Esther continued, "Okay, I'll ask one of the guys to go help with Mrs. Tregarth, and I'll put some food together for Natalie. She really hasn't been eating well lately." A ghost of a smile crossed Jack's face, but his overall expression remained troubled. Esther put her hand on his shoulder, saying softly, "She's exhausted and not thinking clearly. She knows you were just teasing her."

"Oh, I know. That's actually the least of our worries right now," Jack replied. Esther frowned and Jack dipped his head to kiss her knuckles. Her mouth went dry at the soft kiss, but she forced herself to focus on what Jack was saying. He went on, "Natalie will need you, Esther, she'll need you to be her friend and keep her on track. Carlyon, Octavia and Priscilla will all be focused on Sophia, which is understandable. But Natalie has had a nasty shock. For all these years, she has believed that Adriane was her sister and Priscilla was her mother, and now, everything she thought she knew about her family has been turned upside down and inside out. She'll be mortified by what she perceives as weakness, so don't let her shut you out."

"What about you, Jack?" Esther asked softly, "what will you be doing?" He offered her a mega-watt grin that never quite reached his eyes. She shuddered. Esther didn't fear him, but sometimes, she did fear for him. This was one of those times. Over the last few weeks, she heard frequent references to the years that Carlyon Tregarth was the director of Torchwood Cardiff. It would seem that some accounts were past due, and that was what Jack would be doing. Maybe not right away, since Mrs. Tregarth only just woke up, but this reckoning was long past overdue.

"I have some things I need to do downstairs. The last time we assembled in our base, I noticed some oddities. Sophia needs time alone with her husband and older daughter, Natalie needs someone to listen to her and not judge, and I need to make sure that everything is running properly. Esther, I'll explain more later, I promise. But right now, I need you to do two things: take care of Natalie and trust me," Jack told her. Esther thought of the Colasanto compound and things spiraling out of control, and she nodded. Jack kissed her knuckles again and said softly, "I'll be back later."

"I'll wait until Natalie wakes up before I get that food for her. I don't think she should wake up alone," Esther observed and Jack smiled as he rose to his full height. Esther took his place at Natalie's side, even as he brushed his fingertips over their friend's dark hair. Not for the first time, Esther wondered who else got to see this gentle, quiet side of Jack. It made her feel privileged that she was permitted to see this Jack, and all the more determined to stay loyal to him, to be worthy of the trust he showed in her.

"Good. Thank you, Esther," Jack replied and brushed his knuckles against Esther's cheek, before quietly leaving the room. Esther touched her cheek almost self-consciously, before turning her attention back to her still-unconscious friend. Well, wasn't this a turnaround? Just a few weeks earlier, it was Natalie who was quietly supporting Esther, who was still recovering from her long months of captivity and being bedridden. Now the shoe was on the other foot. She faced the twin challenges of looking after Natalie and helping her come to terms with these newest revelations. The first part would be far easier than the second. What, exactly, did you say to someone who just found out that everything she thought she knew about her family was untrue?

Really, there was nothing she could say. And one thing she learned from Jack: sometimes words were greatly overrated. More to the point, all the words in the world meant nothing without actions to back them up. Jack. Esther sighed quietly as she mused about the (as Octavia put it) painfully gorgeous immortal. She was attracted to him, of course, even before they spent those two months together. He was her sanctuary when Rex lost patience with her lack of experience (and lack of judgment), he believed in her, he listened to her, and he cared for her. And she knew he wasn't comfortable with trying to define what they were, aside from friends. That didn't stop her from trying to find the words within her mind, if only to answer her sister's inevitable questions when she could finally tell Sarah that she really was alive.

And that made her uncomfortable as well. Oh, not the idea of telling her sister that she was alive, and seeing the girls again. No, it was the fact of lying to her sister, even lies of omission. Not for the first time, she wondered if that meant she should leave Torchwood. She thought about Natalie, believing for so many years that her sisters were her mother and her aunt, her father was her grandfather, that her niece and nephews were her sister and her cousins. The only thing true about the family was that they loved her, regardless of what they called her and each other. Esther smiled in spite of herself. Maybe that was all she needed to tell Sarah, once the truth could be told: that she loved Jack. Was it a forever-kind-of-love? Esther smiled ruefully. Well, '_forever_' was kind of a dicey term with Jack. His forever would truly be eternal.

Natalie began to stir, drawing Esther's attention away from that line of thought, and the blonde girl rested her hand on Nat's shoulder as the older woman opened her eyes. There was a moment of sleepy recognition, followed by confusion, and finally, Natalie whispered, "Did I dream it? Did you know about this from the start?" Esther didn't bother asking what she meant, choosing to shake her head. It was a 'no' to both questions, and Natalie whispered, "I can't imagine how stupid Jack must think I am. Pathetic little weakling, faints at a little surprise."

"You're not pathetic, weak, or stupid, Natalie. Well, you're only stupid if you think no one has noticed that you've not been eating or sleeping. That shock you just got, that was just the finale. Your body has been taxed over the last few weeks, and it got too stressed out," Esther replied. Natalie didn't look convinced, but she tended to be stubborn that way. After a moment, Esther continued, "Will you be okay while I go get you some food? And yes, you need to eat. I know you're not hungry, but Ailsa needs you to keep your strength up." That earned her a particularly dirty look, but Natalie bobbed her head. Esther squeezed her friend's shoulder, adding, "Then I'll be right back. If you're conscious, you can complain about my dirty tricks all you want."

"Don't tempt me," was the dry response. Esther just smirked at her friend, squeezed her hand lightly, and then left the room, already planning out what she would get Natalie to eat. Something light, maybe crackers, lunch meat and cheese? That would be a good start, she decided. Start small, work our way up to pizza or something along those lines, Esther realized, that would be the best bet. And if she saw Rex or the boys, she'd send them into the cryo room. Esther was bedridden for months, while Sophia Tregarth was in a cryo unit for years. She would need help to get around.

TWTWTWTWTWTW

Jack wasn't entirely honest with Esther (and it wouldn't have surprised him at all if she didn't figure that out on her own. She had a habit of doing that). There **was** an anomaly he wanted to check out; namely, a file that he didn't have access to in the Torchwood computers. It was a wav file, a sound byte of some kind, and it was big. Ordinarily, he would leave it alone, but this one literally had his name on it, and ran about eight hours. And that worried Jack. That worried him a lot. And the date didn't tell him anything, because Carlyon had his own way of marking the date, something that he never shared with Jack. No amount of persuasion on Jack's part could induce him to share that information, and Jack could be **very** persuasive when he wanted to be.

After multiple attempts to access the file in question, Jack switched his attention to the other item that drew him downstairs, and away from the ongoing family drama: a wheelchair for Sophia while her strength returned. Jack supposed he could have pushed the responsibility for telling Natalie the truth over to someone else, but he saw the wheels turning in her head when Sophia mentioned the name of her youngest daughter. It was either tell her or let things fester. He expected her to scream at him, to blame him for the secrets her parents kept from her (that her father kept from her); the last thing he expected was for her to faint. But, as Esther said, Nat wasn't resting or eating properly, and then with their argument today. . .

It wasn't really an argument. Or a disagreement, or anything of that nature. More like, him speaking without thinking and Natalie's frustration igniting. Jack knew that she regretted the words as soon as they were out. They weren't unkind words, simply words born of exhaustion and frustration. More to the point, she regretted 'over-reacting.' According to Esther, who witnessed most of the confrontation, Nat knew he was teasing her. But at that particular moment in time, she wasn't up for teasing. Something Jack should have realized, and backed off before he pushed her too far, and it was something he would have to remember for future reference.

For future reference. Jack could only shake his head in amazement at the turn his life took in recent weeks. When he came back to Earth at the onset of Miracle Day, he was only looking to protect the Williams family. Starting up Torchwood again wasn't something he really considered, but that choice was taken from him by the Families. Even on the run, he still had access to resources, thanks to Torchwood. And now, here they were, nearly six months later. Torchwood was up and running, with six new members. Torchwood Cardiff had always been small, much smaller than Torchwood London and even Torchwood Edinburgh. But the fledgling Torchwood South was nearly twice the size Torchwood Cardiff was at full strength.

As Carlyon promised, his old friend took care of the figurehead duties, dealing with UNIT and the CIA (the latter of which was not happy with Torchwood for recruiting Rex, especially given the loss of Director Shapiro), while Jack was the preferred contact for the Crown. And they talked. They talked a lot. Carlyon wistfully reminisced about the often mind-blowing threesomes they had before Sophia's illness, and his concerns about what would happen when she awakened. So many things changed over the years-especially Carlyon himself. Jack observed they could find a new way, the three of them together, but Carlyon dryly countered that he was eighty-nine years old, with a weakening heart, and he really didn't want to traumatize his wife so soon after her awakening by dying after sex. Jack briefly considered pointing out to his old friend that he was now over two thousand years old, but he didn't want to get into _that_ debate again.

And now, Sophia was awake. Jack was glad she was awake and alert and reunited with her daughters, but he couldn't help being aggravated with Carlyon. They knew it was getting close to when Sophia woke up, there should have been procedures in place to deal with her awakening. Jack often flew by the seat of his pants, but this was way too important. Technically speaking, Natalie should have followed certain steps when she freed her mother, but that information wasn't made available to her, and she could only act according to her instincts. And if Carlyon's guilt led him to lash out at his youngest child, well, Jack would just have to remind him of a few incidents from Carlyon's youth. It was one thing to chastise someone if they knew better, but a situation like this? And unfortunately, Carlyon sometimes lashed out at people because of his own guilt.

As he carried the wheelchair back up into the bunkhouse, he had to admit that Carlyon wasn't the only one with that habit. He knew a lot of people who reacted that way to guilt (himself included, on occasion). Jack was nearly to the house when he noticed something that wasn't there when he went out. Namely, Adriane's car was in the driveway, which meant that she and Carlyon were back from the Hallorans. And if he didn't know already, Carlyon would shortly discover that his wife was awake and his daughter knew some of the truth. This. . .could get ugly. Jack steeled himself, hearing the raised voices inside the house before he even reached the door. His worst fears were realized when he heard Carlyon bellowing, "You foolish, _foolish_ girl, do you have ANY idea of what you've done!"

There were fierce protests from both Rex and Esther. Knowing the former analyst, she probably placed herself between Carlyon and Natalie protectively, hands on hips and eyes blazing with fury. Jack allowed himself a brief smile as the picture arranged itself in his imagination, a smile that died away when he heard Natalie's voice cut through Rex and Esther's, "I saw a terrified woman trapped inside an iron coffin and there were no instructions, so all I had were my hands and my own instincts. Forgive me if my first priority was alleviating her terror, rather than following protocol, Grandfather. Or maybe I should call you '_Father_,' since that is, after all, what you are!"

Dammit. Jack wasted no more time stalling and opened the door, dropping the wheelchair on the hardwood floor: not hard enough to knock any gears loose, but hard enough to get people's attention. And it was a good thing, because the argument between Carlyon and his youngest child was taking place in the front room . . . so everyone heard it, not just the combatants. Then again, the entire family except Ailsa (thank whatever deity you believed in for that) was gathered in the front room. . .Octavia and Priscilla flanking their mother protectively, each daughter holding Sophia's hand as they sat on the davenport/sofa/couch/whatever-the-hell-people-called-it-in-this-part-of-the-country. The three oldest grandchildren were watching in horror as everything they thought they knew about this family was turned upside down. As all eyes turned to him, Jack said in a deceptively calm voice, "You might want to back off, Carlyon."

"And what gives you the right to interfere in my family, Harkness?" the other man spat. Jack responded with a humorless smile, disregarding the gasps of horror from Octavia and Priscilla, as well as the hiss of outrage from Sophia. Instead, he allowed his eyes to sweep over the tableau. At some point, Rex and Esther were actually standing in front of Natalie, to protect her from her father's guilty rage, but she pushed through. Now she stood before Carlyon, small hands clenched into fists at her sides, and twin spots of red staining her normally-pale cheeks. Rex didn't look happy that she left his protection, but stood behind her resolutely, his hand at the small of her back, while Esther's right hand was curled around Natalie's corresponding shoulder.

"What gives me the right to interfere in your family? I don't think you want to have that discussion right now, Carlyon, so I'll remind you of certain things. I know better than anyone else in this room about regrets, about chances missed, and about things that can't be unsaid. I know what it's like to not have a chance to say '_good-bye_' or '_I love you_' or things that someone needs to hear. I know about sobbing my guts out and wishing with my entire being that I could take back harsh words that should have never been said and were undeserved. That's what gives me the right, Carlyon, among other things," Jack replied, folding his arms over his chest and staring steadily at the other man.

The two men stared at each other, forty-five years of secrets and grief and guilt and pain between them. The silence was heavy, but Jack didn't break it. The ball was in his old friend's court right now. He had to make the next move. After a moment of Jack's steady gaze, Carlyon replied almost pleadingly, "The shock could have killed Sophia, Jack. After everything she's been through, after everything we did to save her, Natalie could have killed her mother because she didn't follow procedure!" _Oh, well done, Carlyon_, Jack thought sourly, not daring to look at the girl in question, _haven't you traumatized the poor child enough for one day_?

Natalie's gasp was overridden by Sophia's retort, "And if she hadn't opened the cryo unit, Carlyon, I most likely would have hyperventilated and ended up giving myself heart failure or at the very least, it would have raised my blood pressure, which could have also killed me. Further, you failed to leave instructions about what my sitter should do if I awakened while you were away. It was six of one, half-dozen of the other, and I for one am grateful to Natalie. She prevented me from hyperventilating and acted immediately to warm me up, using good sense. And as to your foolish question about Jack having the right to interfere in our family, I can't think of anyone who has more right, especially since it was he who caught our baby when she fainted! And I still don't know why the poor girl was so shocked to find out that she's my daughter!"

"It's because she's believed for the last thirty-five years that you're her grandmother, rather than her mother, Mama. I . . . I've raised Natalie as my own child. It was selfish, but I just lost my own child and I couldn't bring myself to correct Natalie when she called me 'mama.' None of us wanted her to find out like this, but we thought we would have more time before you awoke," Priscilla said numbly. Sophia swallowed hard and leaned her head against her oldest daughter's shoulder. For her own part, Octavia tightened her hand around her mother's and reached out with her free hand to squeeze her older sister's shoulder. Priscilla continued, "Mama's right, Dad. Blaming Natalie for this is just plain wrong. And blaming Jack for telling Nat the truth when she was already starting to put things together is just as wrong. It wasn't his responsibility, but he did it anyhow, because it was far kinder than brushing her off."

Carlyon closed his eyes and seemed to shrink in on himself. When he opened his eyes once more, he reached out, as if to touch Natalie, but Rex immediately pushed his way between the two once more. He said not a word (kind of unusual for Rex), but his expression warned that anyone who wanted to mess with Natalie would have to go through him. Jack smiled quietly, but noticed that Natalie's complexion was currently the same shade as sour milk, and said, "Esther, can you help Nat to her room? She's looking a bit wobbly on her feet."

"I'm on it, Jack. C'mon, sweetheart, let's get you back to bed. You still haven't recovered from your first shock, so the first thing you're going to do is finish the food I brought up for you and the second thing is rest properly. I promise I'll check on Ailsa, make sure that all the shouting didn't interrupt her nap. Jack, when I come back down, I've got some things I need to show you, things I think would be a big help for our field ops," Esther replied, guiding Natalie upstairs to her room. The older woman was listing, and truthfully, the pair actually supported each other. Jack bit back a smile at Esther's fussing, because he was so familiar with it himself.

Once the two women were at the top of the stairs, the immortal turned to Carlyon, adding in a neutral tone, "Since I'm not part of this family, I'm taking my anticipated second in command and heading out to the Rift. Sophia, I'll see you in a few hours. C'mon, Rex." As the former agent joined him at the door, Jack murmured, "On days like these, I can understand why the Doctor never did domestic." Rex nodded emphatically and Jack added, "And while we're on our way to the Rift, you can tell me when you became so protective of Nat."

"I just don't like bullies, Jack, you know that. And he was acting like a schoolyard bully, looming over her. 'Sides, she really didn't deserve that. You've known all along that Natalie was the youngest daughter, rather than the oldest granddaughter?" Rex asked as they headed out to the ATV's. Jack nodded and Rex mused, "That explains a lot. I've noticed in the last two weeks that Esther was never far from Natalie's side. I figure you told Esther that something big was coming, and she decided to stick close to take care of Natalie, especially since Natalie took care of her during those months when she was a captive of the Families."

"Got it in one. I'll explain everything once we get to the Rift. I want to make sure nothing has come through while we work out the bugs in the new system," Jack replied. Rex nodded. Curiously, his expression held only acceptance. _Interesting. Very interesting_. However, he said only, "I have known since the first day, but telling her should have been Carlyon's responsibility, if only because he knew more of the story than I did. And I wasn't about to tell anyone else while Natalie didn't know."

"Damn, World War II. . .just when I think I have you figured out, you go and surprise me!" Rex answered, shaking his head. Jack smirked at the other man and Rex rolled his eyes, putting on his helmet, muttering under his breath. Jack couldn't make out much of what he said, but he could make a pretty good bet. He simply laughed, put on his own helmet, and revved up the ATV. They had a Rift to check on, and he would leave the mending of the Tregarth family to Carlyon and Sophia. They were the best qualified to do it, when all was said and done.

TBC


	3. Chapter Two:  Mama Bear

Author's Notes: I'd love to tell you that the rest of the story will come this quickly, but the muses are notoriously fickle. In this chapter, Esther comforts Nat; Octavia and Priscilla start catching their mother up on the events of the last thirty-five years; Jack receives a phone call; and Carlyon and Sophia get some quality time. I know I've mentioned in the past that Carlyon is 'played' by Christopher Lee in my imagination, but I don't think I've mentioned his wife or two older daughters. Sophia is 'played' by Robin Christopher (formerly Skye on the three ABC soaps), while Priscilla is 'played' by Helen Shaver and Octavia is 'played' by Catherine Disher. The four younger adults (Nat, Jason, Lucas and Adriane) are still being mulled over.

Chapter Two

Mama Bear

"Today hasn't been one of your better days, huh?" Esther asked softly as she tucked Natalie into bed. The brunette shook her head, staring hard at the trembling hands in her lap. She was shaking. She was literally shaking with a mixture of horror and adrenaline and rage. Despite her best efforts, her gr-her father's words were repeating in her mind. She could have _killed _her mother. By trying to help her, she could have killed her. The bed sank, ever so slightly, as Esther sat down beside her. The younger woman took both of her (trembling) hands and said softly, "It's okay, Natalie. Your mother is right, there was no good choice in this situation. You could have left her in there, followed a protocol that didn't exist to the best of your knowledge. But she was already terrified and seeing you leave might have made things worse."

"I could have killed her, Esther. I could have killed my own mother, and I. . ." Natalie began, only to find tears stinging her eyes. She swallowed hard and blinked hard. Despite her best efforts, she felt tears rolling down her cheeks and Esther uttered a choked back sob of her own, drawing Natalie into her arms. Natalie clung to the blonde girl, burying her face against Esther's shoulder. Torchwood scared her, for more than one reason. Her understanding of right and wrong were totally topsy-turvy. She did what she thought was right, but what she thought was right might have led to her mother's death. How could she not be scared? Did she have any business in an organization where she might need to make a judgment call that could lead to the deaths of so many more than her mother?

"I never told you about this before, but not long after we got to California, I did something terribly stupid," Esther began in a soft voice, still holding Natalie tightly. She explained about the situation with her sister, her fears for her nieces, the call she made while on the op. Natalie trembled in Esther's protective embrace, but listened as Esther told her about the Families' assassin who held Jack and Gwen (_who was Gwen_?) hostage. Esther explained, "I didn't get really scared until he pistol-whipped Jack, knocking him unconscious. And all of a sudden, Rex was the only person who could save them, especially Jack, because he was the only person who could die."

Esther pulled back, but just enough to face Natalie, saying, "The reason I'm telling you this is because my actions would have ended Jack's life and left Gwen badly scarred if Rex hadn't saved them. There is no question of that. Yes, I was never trained as a field agent, but I knew better than to make that phone call. But you? Nat, you had a call to make. Jack sometimes told me, while we were on the run together, that one of the hardest things to learn was that sometimes, there are no good choices or bad choices: just bad choices and less bad choices. You made a call. Your mother thinks you saved her. I'd say that is more important than a protocol that you didn't even know about."

Natalie allowed her forehead to drop against Esther's shoulder, whispering, "I don't know why I'm so weepy. I feel so out of control, and that scares me so badly. I'm never out of control. First, I tear into Jack because of some simple teasing; then I faint when I find out that the woman I thought was my mother is in fact my sister, and the woman whom I was always told was my grandfather is in fact my mother, and oh, by the way, even though she's in her eighties, she still has the mind, body, and face of a thirty-six year old woman; and now this. I don't know what's happening to me!"

Esther released Natalie and cupped her face in her hands, saying quietly, "You have had one shock after another today. No, don't look away from me. You didn't realize that Jack noticed your absence, and that was a shock. If only for a minute, you believed he had no respect for you, and that was a shock. Sophia awakened and you had to make a quick judgment call. But then you found out that she is actually your mother, and that was a shock. You were still recovering from those previous shocks, and your gr-your father tore into you for helping your mother out of her cryo unit, and that was a huge shock. This on top of everything you went through while you were watching over me. Shhh, don't try to tell me that it wasn't a big deal. It was. You, and all the other workers who didn't belong to one of the Families, were treated as if you were nothing."

"I'm nearly thirty-five years old, Esther. Those are just things that you have to deal with," Natalie pointed out tiredly. There was more to it. . .she knew that, and she was pretty sure that Esther knew the same. Maybe, if she was really lucky, Esther would let that go. She hoped so. Everything seemed to be hitting once, and her nerves were badly jangled. Unfortunately, her luck was never that good, and today was no different.

"Including being wildly attracted to a man who is far older than he looks?" the other woman asked, her voice impossibly gentle. Natalie did look away then and Esther said softly, "Nat, I'm the last person to judge you for being attracted to Jack! Honestly, after what we went through together, there's a part of me which wonders at anyone who isn't attracted to him. He's a beautiful man, inside and out, who knows all about making good choices, bad choices, and less bad choices. God, the things he told me while we traveled together! He actually thought I would hate him for them, but how could I? How could I, when those choices protected my nieces, my girls?"

"You're as much Alys and Melanie's mother as Sarah is. I always hate hearing that only women who give birth are real mothers. You know, Mo. . .I mean, Priscilla. . .she once dropped a high school friend, because this other woman accused me of baby-stealing. Never mind that Ailsa's birth mother was dead, she accused me of stealing Ailsa. I didn't find out until late last year. Why do people say things like that?" Natalie rambled. And why was she even talking about this? Everything in her mind was so muddled right now, Natalie was having a hard time finding a coherent train of thought. Or was that line of thought? She was so confused right now.

"You know what I think? I think the food can wait. What you need right now, more than anything right now, is sleep. So, here's what you're going to do. I want you to settle back, there you go, and I'm going to rest alongside you. I'm a bit woozy right now, think I tried to do too much today. Shhh, just close your eyes, I've got you, and anyone who wants to hurt you will have to come through me." Natalie obediently closed her eyes and felt herself drawn into Esther's embrace once more. She curled into the younger woman's arms, soothed by her friend's soft humming. For the first time since Natalie's world went topsy-turvy that morning, she felt safe. She. . .

There was no more coherent thought. Morpheus carried her away.

TWTWTWTWTWTW

There were many, many times over the last thirty-four years when Octavia dreamed of having her mother back. There were nearly as many times when she dreamed about the day when she would no longer keep this secret from her little sister, when Natalie finally knew the truth about their family. Somehow, in all those imaginings, this entire situation never came up. Then again, how could it? Octavia never thought for an instant that her father would be unprepared for his beloved wife's awakening. That, she decided sourly, was her first mistake.

Their mother sat between her and Priscilla on the divan. Jack left the wheelchair where he dropped it, and Octavia listened with half an ear as her father swore, setting the aforementioned wheelchair back up. And as for her mother, well, Mama was more furious than Octavia could ever remember her being. Admittedly, Octavia was only four years old when her mother fell ill, but Priscilla told her stories about some of the crazy situations which their father and Jack found themselves in. One of the most horrifying stories, which Priscilla said enraged their mother beyond all imagination, was of an incident about six months before their mother became so ill.

Over the course of his time at Torchwood, there were some individuals who saw Jack as a human being, and others who saw him as more than human; and sometimes, as less than human. During this particular visit to London, Sophia Tregarth and her two daughters encountered the latter sort. There were experiments done on Jack, during the course of his tenure at Torchwood, because of his inability to stay dead. There were people who looked at Jack and saw not a beautiful, compassionate, loyal man, but a thing. It was people like that, Priscilla explained, that led to Jack sometimes having a reputation for not caring. It was untrue, of course: Jack Harkness was one of the most caring people either of the older Tregarth sisters ever met. But he believed it of himself and others believed it as well. And that led to a disaster, although Octavia had an uncomfortable feeling that she still didn't know the full story.

What was clear to her right now, however, was her mother's fury toward her father. Part of it was due to his attack on Natalie when he and Adriane arrived home fifteen minutes earlier, to find Rex settling Mama on the sofa carefully. While her sister's actions might not have been wise, Octavia believed she did the best she could have under the circumstances. What was more, she was fairly certain that her father knew this as well, but lashed out anyhow because of his own guilt. This, of course, was the same guilt which played into his verbal assault against Jack, and that, Octavia was sure, was the other part of her mother's anger. She really was **not** happy with him for insinuating that Jack wasn't part of their family; which, of course, he _was_.

Her attention was drawn back to the conversation at hand, as Priscilla painfully admitted that the child she lost at the same time Natalie was born wouldn't be the last child she lost. Nine years later, and about four years before Adriane was born, she had a daughter who was born healthy, but was dead less than twenty-four hours later. Octavia swallowed hard. Priscilla was utterly devastated when Juliana died, and really, Octavia was almost completely certain that it was only Natalie which got her through that heartbreak. As much as she hated to admit it, Octavia wasn't much help, as she was pregnant with Jason at the time. Priscilla added, wiping at her tears, "I'm not the only one who has had to deal with loss. Octavia lost her husband ten years ago."

"Oh, Tavie, no! I should have been here for you both! What happened, was it an accident or was he ill or was it something else?" Mama asked, horrified at the tragedies that befell the two older sisters in the last few decades. Octavia had to swallow hard several times, because despite the intervening ten years, her emotions were always overwhelming when it came to discussing her husband. Mama regained enough strength to raise Octavia's hand and kiss it lightly, just as she always did when Octavia was little and trying so hard to be brave after she was hurt. She whispered, "You can tell me anything, baby, anything in the world."

"He was a police officer. . .just like I used to be. . .and he was killed while trying to save people after a terrorist attack. Thousands died that day, Mama, and. . ." Octavia began. She was on the point of telling her mother that the Twin Towers were gone, but then remembered that it was unlikely that her mother even knew about the World Trade Center. Instead, she finished, "And my husband died a hero. He wasn't the only one, of course, but he was my hero."

"Oh, sweet girl, of course he was! None of my girls had it easy, but you made it through anyhow. Oh, I know what you want to say. The same thing Natalie, no doubt, says whenever she's told the same thing, 'it's no worse than what anyone else has been through, and better in some ways.' Am I close?" Mama asked. The two sisters exchanged a glance, blinking back tears, and nodded in unison. Mama nodded decisively, adding, "I thought as much. My beautiful, brave, strong, amazing girls. . .I am so proud of all three of you. I'm guessing that Natalie's not been herself lately?" Octavia had no idea how her mother figured all of this, just in the last few minutes, with all the chaos. _Oh yes, I do_, she thought ruefully, remembering what she always told her boys when they questioned how she knew these things, _it's because she's a mommy. From the moment she realized that Natalie is her daughter, she's soaked up every look, every expression, every word, everything she can_.

"No, she hasn't really been herself since we rescued Esther Drummond, the blonde girl who moved in front of Natalie protectively. It's a long story, but the short version is, Esther was captured by some rather nasty individuals who were planning to use her against Jack. Natalie went undercover to watch over her until Jack and Rex could get her out. We were supposed to be support, but you know Torchwood," Priscilla sighed. Mama rolled her eyes and nodded. Priscilla continued, "The people who had Esther call themselves the Families, and they're your prototypical, '_we want to rule the earth because we're so superior and so smart_.' But, of course, as they always do, they underestimated Jack and the people who work with him. Esther was the wild card, and Jack obvious cared for her, so they tricked everyone into believing that she was dead. Now, since they're your prototypical would-be rulers of the planet, they tend to treat anyone who isn't them as if they were. . ."

"Trash," Mama replied succinctly, her light brown eyes flashing with quiet fury. Octavia and Priscilla exchanged a look, and then nodded. Their mother was silent for several minutes, and then she continued in a too-calm voice, "Now, admittedly, I've only spoken to Natalie for a few minutes, but it seems to me that she had to hide herself away in order to successfully protect herself and Esther. She had to hide herself, her anger at every indifferent slur, at every casual cruelty, and it piled up over the days. Now, she's home and she's safe, they're both safe, but those memories remain and she's still trying to bottle up her rage. Am I close?"

"Terrifyingly close. I think sometimes that Jack deliberately tries to provoke her, hoping to remove that bottle stopper. I was hoping that something would happen today, when she tore into him, but she left before Jack could do anything more. Her rage scares her, Mama, and that scares me. Somehow, along the way, I didn't teach Natalie that it was okay to be angry and I didn't teach her how to let go of her anger," Priscilla replied, her features growing pinched with worry. It was a little more complicated than that, Octavia knew, but their mother already had a lot to take in.

"I can't imagine it's easy, watching a man to whom you're overwhelmingly, incredibly attracted to kiss another man. It's hard enough when it's another woman," Mama mused. Yeah, that would. . ._wait, __**what**_? Octavia blinked at her mother, and saw the exact same confused look on her sister's face. Mama looked from one to the other, sighing, "Don't tell me that you haven't noticed that Natalie is utterly besotted with Jack? While she might have looked away from his kissing that young man, simply because she's a private person, her reaction when he teased her about it tells me that her feelings for him go far beyond friendship. More to the point, those feelings terrify her."

Octavia and Priscilla stared at each other in open shock, before Priscilla asked, "How in the world did we miss that, Tavia? More to the point, what do we do about it now?" Octavia shook her head. She couldn't speak for Priscilla, but she knew how she missed it. Jack seemed to have a special relationship with Esther, who was quickly becoming one of Natalie's closest friends. And when she was attracted to a significant other of a friend, she tended to. . . Oh. Oh, of _course_. Evidently, Priscilla said, "You see it, too. We didn't see it until now because Natalie didn't want us to see it. But she believed Mama was her grandmother, and therefore safe."

"Quite. And you'll do nothing about it, aside from allowing Natalie to work this out for herself. You'll remember what happened the last time you two tried to interfere in her love life," Dad said suddenly, wheeling the now-upright chair over to Mama. Octavia cringed. Yeah, she did, and the idea of her baby sister not speaking to her for such a long time? _No thank you, not again_!

Dad observed heavily, "No, let Natalie work out things with Jack or not, as she sees fit. Once she's had an opportunity to rest, I'll apologize to her for lashing out. For now, let your mother rest. There will be more chances to talk, I promise." The two elder sisters looked at each other, and then at their mother. When Mama nodded, the duo helped her into the wheelchair, taking the chance to hug her tightly and whisper how much they loved her. As their father wheeled her away, the sisters moved as one. Regardless of their family drama, Torchwood still needed to run, and there was a lot to do.

TWTWTWTWTWTW

"I don't know where the old man gets off telling you that you're not family, Jack," Rex Matheson said as he removed his helmet and left it hanging on the handle bar of his ATV. Jack didn't respond, but Rex knew better than to think the other man wasn't listening. Even when you thought he wasn't listening (or you wished he wasn't), Jack was listening to every damn word and knew a helluva lot more than what you realized. Rex was still a little worried that Jack knew about the little trip Rex and Carlyon took into the base. He shuddered, remembering what was said and promised during that conversation. Once, only once, did he ask Carlyon about recruiting other members of Jack's past Torchwood teams. Not again. Never again. He needed a damn shower after hearing that.

"Because I'm _not_ a member of his family, Rex. . .no, walk on my other side. You're not experienced enough with the Rift to be over there," Jack replied. Rex dropped back, stuck out his tongue, and Jack added, "Best to put that back in your mouth, before you trip on it." Rex blinked. _What the hell_? There was more than a touch of amusement in his companion's voice as Jack observed, "You forget, I've been a father. Maybe not much of one, but I still have a sixth sense when someone is sticking their tongue out at me. And like I said, I'm not part of Carlyon's family."

"Bullshit. That is just so much bullshit, Jack! You've died how many times to save members of Tregarth's family? There wouldn't be a Tregarth family, if it weren't for you, and most of the family knows that! Family is more than blood, Jack. You know that! For God's sake, Matthew Halloran decided to adopt you after you saved his kid!" Rex fired back, referring to an incident the previous week, when Nicky Halloran was nearly killed. He and Jack were cleaning out the bunkhouse when an old plow came loose from its place on the wall. It would have killed Nicky if Jack hadn't pushed him out of the way. No one told Rex exactly how it came loose, and at the time, he was too focused on explaining to the teen's frantic parents that Jack would come back. When he gasped back to life, cradled against Nicky's chest protectively, Ava Halloran hit the ground in a dead faint and Matthew Halloran declared Jack to be part of his family. Just like Owen Harper, Ianto Jones, and Toshiko Sato weren't just Jack's team, weren't just his friends. They were also his family.

"Until he sent the information regarding Esther, I hadn't seen or spoken to Carlyon in forty-five years, Rex. Whatever status I had within his family went bye-bye years ago. Now we're just business partners. Maybe friends," Jack replied. Rex virtuously refrained from rolling his eyes. Did Jack think he was stupid? Well, it was possible. Rex pulled nearly as many dumb stunts during the course of Miracle Day as Jack did, maybe even more. After all, checking yourself out of the hospital after being impaled was not a particularly bright thing to do. And what really killed him (metaphorically speaking, of course) was the calm acceptance in Jack's voice when he spoke of his past status with the Tregarths: as if it was to be expected! _Jesus Christ_, Rex thought, _how many times has this happened to him_? Was this what Rex would have to look forward to, if his little joke ended up being true? No thank you!

He didn't ask about any of that. Instead, Rex muttered, "Damn, World War II." He was starting to believe that, given the 'friends' of Jack whom he'd met so far, the immortal didn't really need any enemies. Yeah, Jack could be an annoying pain in the ass, but he was a good man. While Rex didn't really know Angelo Colasanto, he did hear about the night which ended up leading to Miracle Day, and for all his cracks about a tiff between gay lovers, he was disgusted with Colasanto. Not that Rex said so, and he had to admit that at least Colasanto tried to make things right. Then there was Carlyon Tregarth, who kept hinting darkly at an event that happened in the past, something for which the old man needed to atone, and something that was tied to his recently-awakened wife.

"Ahhh, there's that charming nickname, I was starting to miss it. Surely you're not afraid of Carlyon?" Jack teased, drawing Rex's attention back to their previous conversation. Hell. Jack knew about Carlyon taking Rex to task? Then again, this was Jack they were talking about, and he had an uncanny ability to find out things you'd just as soon he never learn: the more embarrassing, the better. Rex growled, 'bite me,' under his breath, once more forgetting Jack's keen hearing. The other man cast a wicked, sidelong glance, retorting, "Well, I suppose I could, but I really don't think I'm your type. Speaking of which, what are your intentions toward Octavia?"

It was on the tip of Rex's tongue to tell Jack to butt out, if he thought he wasn't a member of the Tregarth family, but the seriousness of Jack's expression warned him that it probably wouldn't be a good idea. No matter whether Carlyon Tregarth considered Jack to be part of his family or not, the middle Tregarth daughter was still important to him. It was for that reason he replied, "I don't know. I like her. I like her a lot. For all her bluster and smart remarks, she's a good listener. And God knows, she can keep secrets. But, I was watching her face when I was carrying her mother into the living room, and she's happy that she doesn't have to keep this secret any more. She. . ."

He wanted to say that she reminded him of Vera, but that really wasn't true. Octavia was smart and funny and bold and devious, she drove him absolutely batshit crazy when she called him '_sexy Rexy_' or some variation thereof, but she wasn't really anything like Vera. Rex still hadn't made up his mind whether that was a good thing or not, but he was leaning toward 'good.' There was only one Vera and she shouldn't be easily replaced. Octavia was Octavia and Vera was Vera. After a moment, Rex continued, "The only thing I have a problem with is the fact that she's got more than ten years on me." And then, he remembered that he was talking to a man who was either a hundred seventy or two thousand years old, depending on who was doing the counting. He added sheepishly, "I imagine that sounds a bit silly to you."

Jack responded with a half-smile that never quite reached his eyes as he replied, "Before I returned to Earth at the onset of Miracle Day, my primary companion was a twenty-two year old midshipman, as his home planet counts time, and Ianto. . ." His voice caught, as it still did sometimes when he spoke of his late lover. However, Jack continued once his voice steadied, "Ianto was twenty-six when he died. I would say '_life is too short_' to let something as silly as Octavia's age get in your way, but I don't imagine I'd have much credibility. But I really don't understand why you would let that influence you. Even though I'll probably live forever, you won't, and why would you waste your time on something like that?"

He sounded genuinely confused, and Rex was on the verge of answering, when Jack's cell rang. The immortal gestured for Rex to follow him back to the ATV's, taking his phone out at the same time. And what emerged was the strangest greeting Rex ever heard, as Jack said with a brilliant smile, "Hello, nightingale. . .has baby nightingale made her grand entrance? Well, if you'll recall, Martha, you told me when I was in the UK a few months ago. Yeah. Really? How's Mickey Mouse?" _Mickey Mouse_? Did Rex want to know what that meant? Probably not. Jack laughed aloud as this 'Martha' answered his question, observing, "It wouldn't surprise me if that baby has him wrapped around her little pinkie finger from the moment she opens her eyes. Me? I'm fine. Monitoring the Rift. I don't know if Oklahoma will ever be home to me, no pun intended, but it's fine for now."

There was another long silence, Jack's brows climbing into his hairline, and he replied, "Well, I don't see a problem with it, but I'll need to speak with Carlyon and Sophia. Oh yes, she woke up this morning. That's why I need to check. I want to make sure you won't be stepping into the domestic to end all domestics. You don't need that, much less now. Uh-huh. Okay, if I don't get an answer before it's too late to call you back, call my cell whenever the three of you get up. Okay, that's fine, Nightingale. Give my love to your parents and Tish. And Leo, too, of course. Bye."

Jack hung up the phone, settling onto his ATV, and said, "The Rift will be fine for now, and we need to head back. That was Dr. Martha Jones-Smith, who once saved the world. She and her husband Mickey are hoping to come for a visit in a few weeks, once she's cleared to travel. She'll be giving birth in just a few months, and she wants to see me before she's too far along to travel. And since this isn't my home, it wouldn't be very polite to simply invite her, now would it?" He didn't wait for an answer; simply put his helmet on and gunned the engine of his ATV. Rex shook his head, but followed the captain. He wasn't going to ask, he probably didn't want to know.

TWTWTWTWTWTW

"What's our status?" the auburn-haired woman asked, settling into the wheelchair so kindly provided by Jack Harkness. Trust Jack to remember that wheelchair in the base. Carlyon Tregarth blinked at his wife in astonishment. Well, that was the very last question he anticipated hearing from his wife. Then again, just before she was placed in stasis the first time, she was his unofficial second in command at Torchwood. And she already knew that Natalie was safe.

"At present, we have ten active operatives, though only Jack, Octavia and Priscilla are cleared for field work. And don't ask why Natalie was the one who was sent undercover to watch over Esther Drummond. That's a long story," Carlyon sighed as he wheeled his wife into the room where she would be sleeping until she regained more of her strength: the guest room just off the front room. Sophia merely raised her eyebrows at him, and he added, "Short version, then? Very well. Octavia decided to make a spectacle of herself when we went to the Colasanto compound to retrieve items taken from Torchwood, and made sure the Families, our new enemy, saw her."

"First. . .Colasanto? As in, Angelo Colasanto? As in, the little pissant who murdered Jack, and then betrayed him to those butchers, and then wanted to go with Jack once the nightmare was over? That Colasanto?" Sophia asked, staring at him in shock. Carlyon barely bit back a sigh, wondering if he would need to remind his wife that the same Colasanto helped to save her life. That was, of course, assuming that she remembered anything of that time period, aside from that too-brief time when she held Natalie in her arms. His question was answered a moment later when Sophia whispered, "Colasanto. . . oh my God. It never occurred to me, that was the man who helped to save Natalie. Wasn't it? Mr. Colasanto. . .Angelo Colasanto. For some reason, I always thought of Angelo as a boy, it never occurred to me that he became an old man."

"He _did_ become an old man. He was the age of our oldest granddaughter when he met Jack. He was over seventy when Natalie was born, and he was past one hundred when he died a few months ago. It's quite ironic, when you think about it. During Miracle Day, he and Jack were the only ones who could truly die," Carlyon told his wife. Of course, at that point, he realized that his wife didn't know about Miracle Day. He bit back another sigh. There were so many things he needed to tell his Sophia, and too many of them were unpleasant. As he settled her in her bed, he chose to start with Miracle Day, since that was most recent.

He told her about the Families buying Jack's blood all those years ago, and what they unleashed on the world. He told her about Rex, and Esther, about Vera Juarez who died in one of those modules, and of all those people who burned. He told her about Olivia Colasanto and how she died (not that Carlyon would waste any tears on her), and watched tears slowly slide down his wife's cheeks as he told his story. He even told her about Jack's certainty that there was far more that the Families had in store (a conviction he shared) and that there was far more to the Miracle than simply his blood. And again, Carlyon had to agree with that. What made Jack immortal had nothing to do with his blood. . .and if it did, then Steven Carter might now be alive. However, Carlyon couldn't bear to think about that child for long.

And as he talked, he could never take his eyes off his wife, his beautiful Sophia. So many times, he stared at her face through the cold glass of her cryo unit, but this was the first time in decades he saw his wife, rather than his wife's face on a cold mannequin. She was so beautiful, so incredibly alive! Sophia listened, and as she always did, asked the uncomfortable question. Remembering what he told her earlier, she asked slowly, "You said that the ad-hoc Torchwood team, for the most part, had four members, but you only mentioned Jack, Esther, and Rex. What about the fourth?" Hellfire and damnation!

"That story will need to wait for another day, my love. Right now, you do need to rest. Shhh, I promise, I will tell you. But I'll need some things that I don't have with me right now, and you need to rest. I promised our older daughters that I wouldn't tire you out, and I've broken too many promises as it is," Carlyon replied, drawing her attention away from that rather thorny conversation. It worked, but it also re-focused her attention on another promise that was broken.

"Very well. But when I wake up, we _will_ have words about your thoroughly uncalled-for attack against our youngest daughter. Bank on it, Carlyon Raphael," his wife warned, amber eyes flashing with anger. Carlyon could only nod. What else could he do, especially since she was right? Yes, Natalie's actions could have resulted in her mother's death, but he had to take responsibility for not training her in what needed to be done or at least leaving a checklist. He knew, however, that his wife would forgive him when she added in a small voice, "You'll stay with me until I fall asleep?"

"My darling, dearest Sophia, undomesticated equines couldn't remove me from your side," Carlyon reassured her as Sophia wriggled her way down under the covers. That made her smile, as it was meant to. Carlyon picked up her hand and kissed it lightly. Her eyes fluttered closed once more, but this time, Carlyon's heart didn't lurch in pure terror, as it did just after Natalie was born. Because this time, he knew it was only for a few hours, rather than decades.

TBC

Additional note: To those who don't know, John Barrowman is in a new series called _Gilded Lilys_, a pilot that ABC has apparently picked up. The only other actor/actress I'm familiar with in the show is Brigid Brannagh, who has played Pamela Moran on _Army Wives_ for the last several years.


	4. Chapter Three:  TWSAF

Author's Notes: In this chapter, Sophia discovers more about the new Torchwood, Priscilla and Octavia compare notes, Jack discovers something that disturbs him greatly, and Carlyon puts his finger on something that has been bothering him for quite some time. Fair warning, from this point on, a very different spin on the resolution of '_Miracle Day_' will be part of the '_Birthright_' series. People who came of age in the United States during the seventies, eighties and nineties will probably remember Paul Harvey and '_The Rest of the Story_;' well, the same idea applies here. We have one more chapter of the family drama, and then the major bombshell gets dropped.

Chapter Three

TWSAF

"So, Natalie's in love with Jack."

This announcement was made as the two oldest Tregarth daughters worked in the computer room. There was a sigh, and then Priscilla Tregarth said, "I'm not sure that she is, Tave. There's a helluva difference between being in love with someone and being attracted to that person. Is she in love with Jack? It's too soon to tell. Is she attracted to him? I've been thinking about this ever since Mama mentioned it, and I think she's right. What's more, I'm not sure if Natalie has admitted that to herself." She looked away from the computer screen to see her younger sister nodding thoughtfully.

A moment after that, Octavia asked, "Have you thought about what it'll be like, being Natalie's sister, rather than her mother? Because I haven't stopped thinking about that from the moment Jack came out to tell us that Mama is awake, and I realized something, 'Cilla. I don't know if I know how to be Natalie's big sister. I've been her aunt for the last thirty-four years. And Dad. . .I think he's the only one who will find this entire adjustment easy." Priscilla grimaced at that, because quite frankly, she really didn't think that any of them would find this easy, least of all their father.

"I have been thinking about that, about the transition from 'Mom' to 'Priscilla,' and I'm not sure if I'm ready for this. Not that it matters, because ready or not, this is where we are. I also have another bitter pill to swallow: I've been using Natalie, these last thirty years, to ease my own pain. Yes, I've taken care of her and I've loved her; God, I love her so much. But I've also used her. I never taught her how to get angry and channel that anger, and she's had to work that out on her own," Priscilla replied. She kept her observations about their father to herself, at least for the moment.

"Hey now, none of that," Octavia reprimanded, rolling her chair over to Priscilla's and squeezing the older sister's forearm gently. Priscilla blinked back tears, and Octavia continued, "You didn't use Natalie. You channeled that grief and heartbreak and thwarted love you never had the chance to give your own child, and gave it all to Natalie. And I'm willing to bet that Natalie will see it the same way, once she's had a chance to rest and process everything that's happened. Right now, she's exhausted and hurt and confused, but she's also very sensible most of the time."

"You mean aside from the times when she forgets to take care of herself, or just doesn't bother with it? That's the part that worries me, Tavia. That sensible part of her is what keeps the top on the volcano," Priscilla replied and Octavia nodded, unable to argue with those truths about their sister. The eldest Tregarth girl rubbed at her forehead, saying, "In a way, I'm glad she has feelings for Jack. It's the first time someone-read, a man-has gotten through her protective walls since Ethan scampered off. Our baby sister is not the most trusting of women when it comes to members of the opposite sex."

"Yeah, and Jack didn't just get past her shields, he blew past them as if they were paper. That's gotta scare her, too," Octavia observed. Priscilla couldn't help smiling at that, because it was so true and so very Jack. He didn't realize he was doing it (probably didn't mind that he did it, most of the time). Octavia asked slowly, "You know, I may have asked this before, but has Nat ever asked you about her father? She was always a curious little thing, and she picks up things."

"She asked once, when she was about eight or nine, what happened to her father, if he died in the war. I told her yes, using the '_truth from a certain point of view_' concept. Because really, a part of Dad died when we put Mama into that cryo-unit, and Torchwood does fight a war, even though most people don't know about it. I don't know if she's going to forgive me for that lie. Or Dad, come to that, because he confirmed my story," Priscilla admitted. Octavia cringed. The trouble was, as they learned with Ethan, that even if Natalie never spoke about something that hurt her, or trash-talked the people who did it, it didn't mean that she forgave them. Even now, nearly fifteen years after Ethan left her life, Natalie still hadn't forgiven him. Priscilla had to hope that her sister would be more forgiving toward her family.

"I know this isn't gonna be easy, but 'Cilla, I'm so glad we don't have to lie about this any more. We have Mama back, and even though Nat's probably furious with us, she won't blame Mama. That'll be a good starting place for them," Octavia pointed out. Priscilla nodded, re-focusing her eyes on her computer screen, even if her attention wasn't really on her task. She tried to ignore that with this revelation, while she would still have her baby sister, she would lose a child for the third time. She also forgot that Octavia was far more perceptive than people usually realized, as her sister looped her arm around Priscilla's waist and murmured, "But you will always be Natalie's mother, because you were the one who bandaged skinned knees and nursed her through illnesses and dried her tears when her heart was broken. Biologically, you're her sister, but in her heart, you're her mother and you always will be."

"In my mind," Priscilla murmured, leaning her head against Tavia's shoulder, "I know that. I do. But in my heart, I'm not so sure. I've lost two children already, Tavia, and I don't know if I could bear to lose another." Tavia tightened her grasp, and for a moment, Priscilla indulged herself by weeping against her sister's shoulder. But only for a moment because like her father, Priscilla was sure that the Families were still around and still determined to make trouble.

"I'd like to tell you that you won't. I do. But we both know it's a possibility, I can't lie to you. But, I can also tell you this. . .if you do lose Natalie, it will be for a short time. She's not a child any more. Yes, she's hurt, and yes, she's angry, but she will come to understand. She almost always does," Tavia replied, her voice very softly. She hugged Priscilla again, murmuring, "Besides, do you really think that Mama will allow her to truly turn against you? Even if Natalie tried, you should know Mama better than that." Priscilla laughed in spite of herself and Octavia hugged her again, murmuring, "We'll be fine, sissy. Ready to go back to work?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I think I am. Thanks, Tavie," Priscilla murmured and Octavia smirked, reaching across her to type, 'TWSAF.' _That's what sisters are for_. Priscilla rolled her eyes and ruffled her younger sister's hair, drawing a mock-indignant look. Priscilla's worries weren't gone, by any stretch of the imagination, but Octavia was right. Natalie would likely be furious with her, as well as Dad, once the shock and the hurt wore off. But she was still part of Priscilla's family, and that mattered more than anything else.

TWTWTWTWTWTW

Jack loved the ATVs. He loved the speed and the roughness of them, the sensation of the wind against his body, and the power of the engine thrumming through him. Besides, he always needed a shower after riding around, and that was always enjoyable. That was one thing that Alonso never considered, until he met Jack: the pleasure of showering together, to say nothing of what could come next. Jack smiled to himself as he parked the ATV and took off the helmet. He hoped his young companion was all right. They parted on good terms (really, really, REALLY good terms, in fact), Alonso excited about a new opportunity that came his way.

Inside the house, he deposited the readings he received from the Rift with Jason and Lucas, after checking in with the boys' mother and her older sister. Priscilla's eyes were red-rimmed, and she bore other tell-tale signs of crying, but Jack didn't comment on it. Instead, he explained that a friend of his, Martha Jones-Smith, was inquiring about a visit to the Tregarth homestead and the new base of operations for Torchwood. Priscilla seemed pleased at the prospect of a visit from Martha (interesting. It was almost as if she recognized Martha's name), and said that she saw nothing wrong with it. Things all depended on how quickly her mother regained her strength.

Octavia observed that she was already regaining her strength, far more quickly than anyone anticipated. When Jack looked at her inquiringly, she explained, "What I mean is, when Dad and Mr. Colasanto put Mama back into cryo after Nat was born, no one was entirely sure how she would be affected physically. It's nothing like what the TV shows and movies say. Her muscles are weak, yes, and she's exhausted, but it's more like she's been sick for several weeks. It's almost as if the cold prevented her muscles from atrophy. I won't ask how things like that played out in your time, Jack, but it seems more like what we called 'suspended animation' in the seventies."

Jack was on the verge of responding, when Octavia added as almost an afterthought, "Oh, and speaking of the seventies, Jack? I don't want to ever, and I do mean ever, see you with facial hair again. That was a serious ick." Wait, what? At his puzzled look, Octavia elaborated, "When we went to the Colasanto compound, Mr. Colasanto's pictures of you were still up." Oh. Yes. Now Jack remembered the picture in question. Octavia added, "You're far too pretty to mar your face like that, Jack. And have I mentioned just how creepy that was? I always liked Mr. Colasanto, he was always good to the three of us and I get that he wanted to make amends, but that was just creepy."

"So you've said. Repeatedly and in several different languages, we get the idea!" Priscilla muttered, rolling her eyes. Octavia pouted at her, and Priscilla continued, "Anyhow, like we were saying, Mama has already started regaining her strength, and if you're worried about your friend getting caught in the crossfire of our family drama, I don't think that will be an issue. I think that will be put off until Mama is strong enough to deal with it. How do you know Dr. Jones?" Jack was on the verge of answering when it occurred to him that he hadn't mentioned that Martha was a doctor.

"We both once traveled with the same person, and how did you know that Martha is a doctor?" he asked. Priscilla's expression was remarkably similar to the same expression she wore as a young girl when she commented on something she wasn't supposed to know about. He would have laughed, but the implications worried him. It was possible that Priscilla saw Martha's name because of the uneasy relationship between Torchwood and UNIT, but there was another, far more disturbing possibility. The sisters exchanged a look, and Jack murmured, "Both of you?"

"All of us have had dreams. . .nightmares. . .about things that never happened. And yet, they did. The only one who hasn't been affected, and it's something that we thank God for, is Ailsa. She was too young when it happened. Dad thought at first that we were seeing this other reality because of our connection to the Rift in Cardiff and our affiliation with Torchwood, but Natalie's dreams were just as vivid as our own. She was conceived near the Rift, but that was only a few months as opposed to several years. We also learned that Mr. Colasanto didn't have those nightmares, though that may be because he had enough of his own already," Priscilla explained. Jack felt around for the third chair in the room and sat down heavily. The eldest Tregarth daughter whispered, "Oh God. It really happened? That evil man was really real? All those things happened?"

"His name was the Master," Jack replied numbly, "and he wasn't a human, but a Time Lord. Yes. It happened, but the paradox was shattered, and no one was supposed to remember except those on the Valiant." Octavia left her seat and knelt in front of him, taking his hands and holding them lightly against her chest. Jack swallowed hard, trying to convince himself that it didn't matter why the Tregarths remembered the Year, even in dreams. And yet, at the same time, it did. It mattered greatly. Octavia squeezed his hands, drawing his attention back to her, back to the warm hands encircling his own.

"Hey. We only take responsibility for ourselves, remember? So, if the next words out of your mouth are to blame yourself, save it, because so help me God, Jack, I. WILL. SMACK. YOU. And you know I'll do it, too," she warned. Jack closed his mouth with a snap. Yes, she would. Satisfied with his compliance, Octavia continued, "Now, I wrote down my dreams each night. It helped me to come to terms with what I saw. And before we came to meet you, I read over my notes. He tortured you, didn't he, this Master?" A cold note entered her voice as she spoke the last few words, her eyes narrowing.

"I didn't stay dead, so I kept his attention away from the others. Martha was walking the Earth, and I couldn't leave the Doctor alone with him. So I stayed. I stayed and I bought the Doctor time," Jack replied. He didn't say anything more about that Year. After a moment, he continued, "So, your family already knows about Martha. What do you remember about the Year in your dreams? I'm guessing that none of you took the Master's rule lying down?" Of course they didn't. Even if Carlyon wasn't inclined to get involved, neither Priscilla nor Octavia would have accepted that.

"We occasionally do have dreams about that. Natalie woke up the entire house once with her shrieks of terror. She had a nightmare about small silver balls cutting Dad to pieces while he was protecting others. I don't think she let him out of her sight for a solid month after that," Priscilla acknowledged. Jack shuddered and the woman continued after a moment, "I've had nightmares about leaving the fallout shelter in town to forage for food. I'm sure that Adriane has had nightmares as well, though she won't admit it. Octavia has had nightmares about the Master's voice."

Octavia added, "My boys have nightmares, too, but they won't talk about them. They seem to have this idea that 'it's just a dream, it didn't really happen.' If they know it's really real, maybe their pride will stop overwhelming their good sense." Jack couldn't make any promises, but he would do what he could. When he said as much, Octavia snorted, replying, "Please, Jack, I know better than to ask for miracles! And I think we've all had about enough of so-called Miracles, anyhow."

Jack couldn't argue with that. Priscilla asked after a moment, "So, is there a particular reason for the timing of her visit? It's only been a short time since Torchwood South opened its doors, metaphorically speaking. Has it been a long time since you saw each other and she wants to make sure that we're taking proper care of you?" _Take care of him_? Jack arched his brows at the sandy-haired woman, who added, "It's a fair question. You take care of just about everyone else, it's only fair that someone take care of you, and we're the best qualified for that particular job, aside from Esther."

"Uhm, no. No, she's expecting her first child and wanted to see me while she could still travel safely. I saw her when I returned to the UK after Esther's memorial service, so she would be in her sixth or seventh month now," Jack replied. After a moment, he added, "Why would you think that I need someone to take care of me, much less that Martha would be checking up on you?"

The sisters exchanged a look, and then Octavia rose to her feet, lightly slapping him in the back of his head. He yelped and grabbed her wrist, glaring at her. However, it was Priscilla who said, "Because you're absolutely awful at taking care of yourself, Jack. We love you dearly, but if you were left to your own devices after being hurt, you'd probably get yourself into even more trouble. When I was fourteen, you were the gorgeous, charming, dangerous best friend of my father and mother, and that was part of your mystique. Now that I'm sixty, you're the hot little brother who can't stay out of trouble."

"You do realize that I'm still at least three times your age, no matter how you count it?" Jack inquired. Priscilla merely smirked at him before reaching down. Jack barely kept from squeaking when she grabbed him through his trousers. When he could trust his voice not to squeak (or break), Jack informed her, "I would tell you to put your money where your mouth is, but I think that would be backward in this case. I will ask if you're absolutely sure if you want to go down this path."

Priscilla patted his cheek (the upper one) and replied, "You're cute, Jack, but I have someone in town. And that is all I'll tell you. Now, if you'll excuse me for saying so, you desperately need a shower, so shoo!" Jack thought (very briefly) about asking her if she'd join him, but chose not to. Instead, he swept her and her sister a mock-bow, backing out of the room. On his way to the loo, he passed Rex, who was cringing at the laughter coming from the sisters. _Smart, Rex_, he thought, _those two are dangerous_!

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

When she awoke, Sophia Tregarth found her husband sitting opposite her, reading. She wasn't aware of making any noise, but Carlyon put down his papers and rose to his feet slowly. He straightened just as slowly, and for the first time, Sophia understood that her husband was in his late eighties. Technically speaking, she was in her eighties, but in her mind and heart (and body), she was still thirty-six. However, she said nothing, simply smiled as he joined her. He asked softly, "Did you sleep well, my love?"

"I did, even though I think I've slept a little too much. A thirty-five year nap should be enough for anyone, don't you think?" Sophia asked ruefully. Her husband merely smiled sadly, allowing his fingers to graze her cheek. She murmured, "So many things have changed. My teenage daughter is sixty, my toddler is fifty, my baby daughter is almost thirty-five, and all three have children of their own. Wait, when exactly is Natalie's birthday? I mean, I know when her birthday is, but how many more days?"

"Today is October 28th, so it's three days away. Why? Are you thinking about a party for her?" Carlyon asked, obviously intrigued. Sophia shook her head. No, she couldn't turn back time, no matter how much she wanted to. And treating her daughter like a child was unfair to Natalie. But she wanted to do something for her child, for all those birthdays she missed. No, it couldn't be helped and yes, she was grateful to Angelo Colasanto for his part in saving their lives, but Sophia wanted to do something to make sure her little girl knew just how happy Sophia was to be back in her life.

"Not a big birthday party, or a child's birthday party. Is there anything special she wants this year, Carlyon?" Sophia asked. Carlyon looked away, and Sophia bit back the question she wanted to ask. Why was he reacting this way, what was going on? When he didn't respond, Sophia continued, "Actually, if you still have the trunk from our honeymoon, I have a gift for her in there?" Carlyon raised his head, staring at her in astonishment, and Sophia continued, "Just something I made for her before I got so sick. Do we still have that trunk?"

"Of course we, and if I recall correctly, it's in the base. And once you can walk on your own, I'll give you a tour of Torchwood South," Carlyon replied. Sophia nodded. She knew from talking to her two older daughters that like the Hub, Torchwood South was located underground. For reasons known only to him, her husband chose not to put in an elevator/lift or a ramp. She already saw that he moved far more slowly than she remembered, and it couldn't be easy to go up and down that ladder (yes, her daughters made sure to tell her _all _about checking out Jack's butt as he descended the ladder).

"That would be greatly appreciated. For now, you can tell me about the missing Torchwood operative," Sophia replied. Carlyon dropped his eyes, and Sophia murmured, "Ahhh, you were hoping that I'd forget about that. No such luck, my love. Now, I'm guessing that his or her absence is your decision. You're the figurehead of this branch, the girls tell me, with the final word on personnel." Their older daughters had quite a lot to say in the time it took Carlyon to set up the wheelchair. In answer, Carlyon handed her a small item, about the size of her pinkie finger. Sophia frowned, asking, "What, exactly, is this?" She saw a number of things most people didn't, as the unofficial second in command to the Director of Torchwood Three. But this was odd.

"That, my wise one, is a flash drive. You can store many files on this tiny item," Carlyon replied. Oh, it was a storage device! Carlyon moved. . .was that a laptop computer? And it was in the main house? So laptops were common now? She always did like the ones they had in the Hub for conferences, though this one was considerably smaller. Sophia smiled, remembering a brief conversation with Mr. Colasanto just before she went under again. He told her that she wouldn't recognize the world when she woke up. She dryly reminded him that she worked for Torchwood. That made his smile dim, ever so slightly, though she didn't understand the why of it. Not at the time, at least. Now, however, she knew the truth: how he helped Jack on an op during the nineteen twenties, spent a year in prison, and the horrifying events that followed.

Carlyon didn't speak as he neatly slid the flash drive into a port on the laptop computer, and Sophia virtuously avoided mentioning how Jack probably would have come up with an innuendo for the action. She had the uneasy sense that Carlyon wouldn't want to hear it. A box appeared in the middle of the screen, with just one file: '_Jack_.' Sophia swallowed hard, but bravely clicked on the file. To her surprise, another menu opened up. It seemed her choices were '_audio_,' '_text_' or '_both_.' Her husband leaned forward, ever so slightly, and clicked on both.

"You'll need these as well," Carlyon told her, plugging a pair of headphones into the computer, "I don't want the girls to hear this just yet, especially Natalie. Especially considering she almost shot Jack the first time he came back from a death." _Oooh dear_. And then, she fell silent as the recording began. Carlyon stayed at her side, and she couldn't be sure if she was grateful for that or not. On the one hand, she didn't want to listen to this on her own. But on the other hand, she couldn't squeeze his hand, the way she would have before she got sick. Instead, she listened and listened, her mouth going dry and her heart racing. At the end of the recording, she numbly took off the headphones, and Carlyon whispered, "I am so sorry, Sophia. I never wanted you to hear that, or at least, to wait until you were much stronger."

Sophia blinked back tears and shook her head, her mouth too dry to speak at first. Carlyon left the room and returned after a few minutes, carrying a glass of water. She accepted the water gratefully, rasping out hoarsely when she could speak, "It's not your fault, Carlyon. I shouldn't have pushed. You were right. But I'm looking forward to getting to know the others. What can you tell me about Agent Matheson and Miss Drummond, aside from their obvious protectiveness of Natalie?" Unexpectedly, Carlyon snorted and Sophia raised her eyebrows at her husband.

"Esther is quite protective of her, and of Jack, but the first time Agent Matheson met her, he threatened to blow her brains out if she betrayed them. They didn't get along especially well at first, as you can imagine. At the time, Natalie was undercover with the Families, keeping an eye on Esther. She will tell you-Esther, that is-that our Natalie was her touchstone, reminded her of whom she really is. And they've been friends ever since. As to what she's like? I'll let you decide that for yourself. I'll let you decide that about them both. You've probably realized that Octavia has very special feelings for Agent Matheson," Carlyon observed. Yes, she realized that from the moment her middle daughter mentioned the man. Her husband went on, "What she may not have told you is that he is the first man she's had feelings for since David was murdered. For that reason alone, I was inclined to give him a chance."

"What was he like? David, I mean? Tavie told me that he was her hero, and I'm guessing that her boys felt the same way, but what was he like?" Sophia asked, carefully putting the headphones aside. Her husband didn't answer immediately; he was too busy taking the steps necessary to remove the flash drive from the computer. There was, it seemed, particular steps required. Something else to learn, but that was fine. Sophia had time to learn; but her time with her husband, she feared, would be finite.

"He was a good man, a hero, like Octavia said. Where she is mouthy and sassy, he was quiet and soft-spoken. And this family was everything to him. His own parents were dead, and he had a twin brother, to whom he hadn't spoken in several years. David would never speak of him, but Octavia did glean that he was involved with something illegal, most likely dangerous. David would never turn on a relative for something to do with questionable legality or even illegal. However, if he believed this relative posed a threat to his wife and children? That, I can easily see," Carlyon replied.

Sophia inclined her head; she would ferret out more information about her late son-in-law later. For now, she said, "You've mentioned the Families several times. Who, exactly, are the Families and why are they a threat?" Her husband grimaced and explained what he knew of the Families. Most of the information came from Angelo Colasanto, she learned, although not all of it. Carlyon told her about Miracle Day, including the erroneous assumptions regarding its beginning and ending. Sophia listened intently, observing, "There's more to the story. If Jack's blood had anything to do with the Miracle, if it caused his immortality, then none of his children would have died over the years." Her husband flinched at that, and Sophia didn't ask. After what she just heard, she would trust Carlyon to tell her when the time was right.

"I agree. And I think Jack is allowing people to think that his blood began and ended the Miracle for his own purposes. He has always been far more cunning than most people realized, as well as being quite resourceful. I haven't called him on this deception, because I believe he's working on a plan of his own to take down the Families. They like to think themselves superior to everyone else, but they weren't smart enough to come up with that plan on their own. Oh, no. Someone else is calling the shots, and Jack wants them, in addition to the Families," Carlyon replied.

"Then we back him up," Sophia replied simply. Carlyon smiled and Sophia's next words were interrupted with a great yawn. She raised her hand to her mouth, blushing a little, and said, "I think I should probably get more sleep." Carlyon merely raised his eyebrows, trying very hard not to smirk. Sophia hesitated, and then covered his hand with her own, saying softly, "Can you do one thing for me? Can you make things right with Natalie? I don't want her to dwell on what could have gone wrong, and if she's anything like Priscilla, it won't stop haunting her."

"Just as soon as she wakes up, my love, I promise. I don't think Esther will allow me into Natalie's room until then," her husband observed dryly. Well, she didn't plan to say anything, but now that he mentioned it. . . Carlyon glowered at her, adding, "No more of that, Sophia! Rest, my wise one. We'll discuss more about our baby girl's birthday the next time you wake up." That sounded like a lovely idea. Sophia closed her eyes with a sleepy smile. They would talk about their daughter's birthday, and formulate plans to take care of Jack, because Sophia had a feeling he needed someone to do that. . .

TWTWTWTWTWTW

Until he spoke the words to his wife, Carlyon hadn't admitted to himself just what he was thinking. During the last few weeks, as he got to know Rex and Esther, Carlyon quietly learned what he could about the last few weeks of the Miracle. He didn't hold it against Esther, because she didn't know the entire story, but she wasn't correct. There was more to the Miracle than that Crack in the world and Jack's blood. And it would be just like Jack to bide his time, let the Families think they were free to rebuild. One thing that people often forgot: Jack was once a con artist.

Once he remembered that, Carlyon became absolutely certain that Jack was conning the Families now. He began conning the Families from the moment he returned to Earth, even if he didn't realize the source of the problem, and he was still conning the Families. Every move of his old friend that originally had Carlyon shaking his head in pure astonishment at what seemed to be utter stupidity (his initial confrontation with Oswald Danes, for instance, which Adriane outlined for him, her mother and her older aunt. Really, Jack? **REALLY**?), was now being re-examined with that notion in mind. And slowly, the pieces were starting to fall into place.

As his wife stated, they would back his hand. Carlyon hadn't figured out his friend's plan, exactly, but he trusted Jack implicitly. There was no doubt in Carlyon Tregarth's mind that the Families were even now rebuilding and making plans to create problems for the world at large. He was equally sure that even with the instability of the Rift, Torchwood would be there to stop them.

TBC


	5. Chapter Four:  Be My Companion

Author's Notes: This marks the last chapter of the family drama before all hell breaks loose. This time around, we have the three youngest Tregarth adults reeling from the recent revelations, Esther and Jack settling some old business, and Sophia meeting Ailsa, followed by the beginnings of a relationship being forged between Sophia and Natalie.

Chapter Four

Be my Companion

"So, let me recap. These are all revelations we've discovered within the last three hours, and stop me if I leave anything out. Natalie is our aunt, not our sister or our cousin. Our grandmother was pulled out of suspended animation long enough to give birth to her, and then she went back in. The aforementioned grandmother is in her early eighties, but looks and talks and behaves like she's still thirty-six. Have I missed anything so far?" Adriane Tregarth asked. She sat with her back pressed against a wall, arms wrapped around her legs and chin resting on her knees. Her cousins exchanged a look, and both boys shook their heads. Adriane sighed and continued, "Okay, Jason, so you were saying that you knew that we had an aunt, the daughter whom Grandmother gave birth to, who was raised by someone else. You just didn't know it was Natalie, because Aunt Tavie never told you what her name was or who took care of her. And she didn't know, either, at least not until Captain Harkness told her. Have I covered everything?"

"Ye-up. I can understand why we weren't told, sort of. And I can understand why things were kept from Nat at first. But why wasn't she told when she hit twenty-one? Mom did that with us, when we were having nightmares about being kidnapped. When we turned twenty-one, she sat down and told us everything, including why that creep hated Dad so much," Jason observed. The trio was gathered in the bunkhouse, thoroughly uncomfortable with the atmosphere in the main house. Their respective mothers were caught between taking care of their mother and trying to conduct business, while God only knew what Captain Harkness was up to. Then again, maybe none of them wanted to know. Adriane and her cousins weren't entirely sure what to make of the (_extremely_) handsome captain who was far older than he looked.

They knew that he saved their grandfather's life when Grandfather was only five. They also knew that their respective mothers absolutely adored him when they were little kids themselves. Jason and Lucas quickly realized that neither of them had a chance with Esther because of him. Even if they weren't sleeping together, it was pretty obvious that Esther had eyes for him and only him. And his nearly unconscious habit of flirting with them also did a number on their brains. Their mother just laughed and said, '_well, that's just how he is. He won't do anything more if you're not interested_.' That was fine. But none of them ever encountered anyone like Captain Jack Harkness, a man who both terrified them **and** enthralled them.

"This session closed or can anyone join in?" a familiar voice asked and Adriane looked up to see Agent Matheson leaning against the door. The three looked at each other, and then Jason (as the eldest in the group) beckoned him in. Agent Matheson nodded his thanks, settling down between Adriane and Lucas on the floor. Jason passed him over a bottle of Coke, and the agent said, "Just in case you're wondering what's going inside the house, your respective moms are terrifying, Natalie is resting and so is your grandmother. World War II and I just got back from checking the Rift." Adriane snorted. Yeah, everyone knew that their mothers were utterly terrifying when they were together.

"You're just now realizing that our moms are scary? Took you long enough," Lucas observed. Agent Matheson shot him a dirty look, but Lucas continued blithely, "Yeah, Captain Harkness poked his head inside on the way into the house, wanted to make sure we were okay. Of course, he didn't put it in those terms, but that was what he was doing. I don't know about Adriane or Jason, but it took me maybe a week to realize that the captain has his own ways of taking care of people. He said after he checked in with our mothers, he'd check on Ailsa, make sure she's okay." That, Adriane hadn't heard. Lucas explained, "That was before you came back with the cooler. It's kinda funny. He still isn't entirely comfortable with Ailsa, but that doesn't stop him from taking care of her as best as he can."

"I don't imagine Ailsa lets him avoid her too much. Esther got a lot of teasing material on him after Ailsa crawled up into his lap and practically fell asleep," Agent Matheson observed dryly. The three junior agents (if they could, indeed, be called agents) all laughed at that. Of course, by now, they all knew just why Captain Harkness was so uncomfortable with Ailsa in the beginning. Adriane was still trying to work out how she felt about that, and made sure that she did it where her grandfather couldn't hear her. Her grandfather tended to be overly-protective of Captain Harkness, much to the latter's amusement and consternation. And Captain Harkness seemed to understand that Adriane was coming to terms with what he did; he offered her a gentle, sad smile, and kept his distance.

"Ailsa is still young enough that she can't imagine anyone who wouldn't love her, and she's also young enough to get away with it," Jason observed. He was sitting to Adriane's left, legs folded in front of him. He added, smirking a little, "Of course, if she still thinks that way when she's eighteen or nineteen, then we've got a problem. Or rather, Natalie does. Huh. Now that's something I just thought of. Has anyone decided if we should still just call her 'Nat' or 'Natalie,' or do we start calling her 'Aunt Natalie,' y'all? 'Cause I don't know if I can call her anything other than 'Nat' after all these years."

"I am **not** calling her 'Aunt Natalie.' I don't care if she is my mother's sister, I grew up believing she was my sister, and that's how it's going to stay," Adriane said flatly. Yes, in terms of blood relation, Natalie was her aunt. But as far back as she could remember, Natalie was her big sister. She paused, a memory of nineteen year old Natalie, quiet and shy, fiercely standing up to someone, a threat of some kind, on seven year old Adriane's behalf. She remembered peeking around her older sister's legs, and the way Natalie's chin lifted proudly. It was something she hadn't thought of in years, and it made Adriane swallow hard. Before she realized what she was doing, she was telling her cousins (at least that family relationship was still the same) and Agent Matheson about what she remembered of that afternoon.

Agent Matheson smiled ruefully and said, "You know, that doesn't surprise me. I threatened to blow her brains out if she betrayed us. She responded by putting a bullet in the guard who would have alerted the Families. She may be quiet, but she's not a pushover. She might have been when she was younger, but she isn't now." No, Adriane didn't think she was a pushover even when she was a kid. Just quiet and reserved, but she had definite boundaries, as that prick Ethan learned the hard way.

But it was Lucas who said softly, "What do we do now? 'Cause I don't know about the rest of you zombies, but I have this sick feeling that the real storm has yet to break, that right now, we're in the eye of the storm." A quick glance at Jason told her that the oldest Martinelli boy felt the exact same way. And that? That terrified Adriane. The revelation that Natalie was the missing Tregarth daughter wasn't bad, but it was earth-shaking. However, if there was more, then what was to come? What didn't they know? And the answer was, a lot.

TWTWTWTWTW

"Welcome back, sleepyhead."

She'd been awake only a few minutes, giving herself time to get oriented once more when the greeting drew her attention. Esther smiled and rolled over to look at the owner of the voice. Jack was leaning against the wall, a small smile on his face. A quick glance back told her that Natalie was still sound asleep, so Esther carefully eased out of bed and joined Jack, asking softly, "So, just how did you know that I was awake?" She was rewarded with a slightly brighter smile and Jack's arm slipping around her shoulders. Esther slipped her arms around his waist, sighing contentedly. With all the chaos of getting Torchwood South started up, she hadn't the chance to spend much time with Jack lately, and she missed him. She missed him terribly.

"You're usually more perceptive than that, Esther, or maybe you were too tired to notice. While you were taking care of me, I was watching you and listening to the way your breathing changed when you woke up," Jack responded softly, his eyes dancing with laughter. Esther pretended to shiver, but she understood what he meant. While she was caring for him, he watched her. It wasn't just to distract him from the agony she knew he was experiencing, but to make sure she wasn't getting worn out. Even weak and in pain, he was still trying to take care of her. He never stopped trying to take care of her or anyone else. And speaking of which. . .

"Mr. Tregarth, Natalie is still asleep," Esther said as the head of Torchwood South came up the stairs, heading for his youngest daughter's room. She couldn't quite keep the coldness out of her voice. She knew she owed her life to this man. He told Jack that she was still alive and where he could find her. And under normal circumstances, she didn't involve herself in family affairs. But he **made** it her business, and Rex's, earlier in the afternoon. Natalie was far stronger than Esther's sister Sarah, but Esther still found herself feeling very protective of her new friend. For that matter, she was just as protective of Jack, who was immortal.

And the director of Torchwood South said softly, "I know. I have no intention of waking her, only to watch over her. I know I hurt my daughter, Miss Esther Drummond, and she is beyond fortunate to have you as her friend. I only want to make things right. My responsibility in today's fiasco is far greater than hers. I failed to prepare for my wife's awakening on more than one level, and Sophia could have paid the price." Esther stared at him a moment longer, and then looked up at Jack. Could she trust him? Jack nodded, ever so slightly, and Esther relaxed against her companion. Carlyon made a courtly bow, saying, "Thank you."

There wasn't a touch of irony in his voice, and Esther thought briefly about apologizing for interfering. But the man added, "I truly am grateful that my baby has you as a friend. Natalie has had many, many acquaintances over the course of her life. But you're the first friend she's had who is willing to stand up for her." He inclined his head to her, before slipping into his daughter's room. And for the first time, Esther actually thought about what that meant. Natalie was Carlyon's daughter, rather than his granddaughter. Things she found odd now made far more sense. Jack squeezed her shoulder, drawing her attention back to him.

"That's what you were warning me about," Esther said softly as they headed downstairs, her arms wrapped tightly around Jack's waist. He didn't respond at first, and she continued, "You knew, but you couldn't say anything because Natalie didn't know, and it wasn't fair to her to find out last." They reached the bottom of the staircase and Jack kissed the top of her head. Esther couldn't quite hide the awe in her voice as she added, "You were trying to protect her. Do you ever stop trying to protect people?"

"Do _you_ ever stop trying to take care of the people around you?" Jack countered, turning her to face him. Esther blushed a little, and Jack continued, "Don't try to make me into some hero, Esther. I realized on the same day that I met her that Natalie was Carlyon and Sophia's daughter. I could have told her the truth weeks ago, but there was too much I didn't know and too many questions that I couldn't answer for her, questions I knew she would have. And telling you when she didn't know wouldn't have been fair to either of you, especially since she would have just resented you for knowing when she didn't."

"If you're trying to talk me out of admiring and respecting you, Jack, you are failing _miserably_," Esther told him. She released his waist and moved her hands to cup his face, saying softly, "I have seen you through nightmares and illness. I held you while you were burning up with fever, and I listened as you begged forgiveness from the dead. I know you've done things you're not proud of, I know you think there are times when you could have or should have done more. But I also know that despite the years you've lived, despite the horrible things that have happened to you, despite the horrible things you've seen and experienced and had to do to survive, you still care for people, you still are capable of love. You are a good man, Captain Jack Harkness, and when you chose not to tell Natalie about her parentage, you were acting in her best interests."

"And when I told her the truth a few hours ago?" Jack asked. He wasn't sad or depressed or despondent, merely curious. Esther feathered her thumbs across his cheekbones, staring up into those lovely eyes of his. He had such beautiful eyes. Jack smiled slightly, asking once more, "Do you believe I was acting in her best interests when I told her about her mother in those seconds just before she fainted, Esther Drummond?"

"What do you think would have happened, Jack, if you tried to fob her off? If you let those words fester in her mind, and left the explanations to her mother, who never knew that Natalie believed she was her grandmother, or her father, who let her believe for so many years that he was her grandfather? Natalie thought about that, I can tell you. She told me as much. Yes, Jack. You were acting in her best interests, and she knows it. She put the pieces together, Jack, but you confirmed it for her. And, you made sure that she didn't hit the ground and hurt herself," Esther answered quietly.

Jack offered her a bemused smile and he said, "You really believe that. You've seen me at my worst, and you still believe in me." Yes. She saw him at his worst, heard his darkest secrets, and she believed in him still. No, not still: even _more_. When she was a little girl, her daddy told her that the greatest heroes weren't the ones who knew no fear or no temptation, but the ones who pushed past the terror and picked themselves up after they fell down. She didn't think less of Jack because of his mistakes and misdeeds; how could she, after the mistakes she made?

"When I look at you, Jack, I see someone who will always be a hero, will always be my hero. It's not because I put him up on a pedestal, because he doesn't belong there, but because he's a man who is willing to sacrifice himself and do what needs to be done. That, Captain Jack Harkness, is what a hero is to me. You have made sacrifices that would have broken anyone else. Do I like that you had to do them? No. No, I hate that. I hate it with everything I am. Do I hate you for making those choices? Also no. If I hate anyone, it's the people who made those decisions necessary," Esther replied quietly. She allowed one hand to slide down his face to cup his chin, allowing her to caress his lower lip with her thumb.

"I'll do my best to be worthy of that faith," he whispered when her thumb moved back up to caress his cheek. Esther could only smile at him sadly. He still didn't understand, did he? How was it that as old as he was, he didn't understand? She released his face and took his hand, leading him over to the sofa. When they were both sitting down once more, Jack wearing a decidedly-bemused expression as she literally sat him down on the sofa, and took his hands once she was seated beside him.

"Jack, you already _are_. You proved yourself worthy of that faith so many times: when Vera was killed and you looked after me; when you reassured me that I wasn't worthless, that everyone was in over their heads; when you sacrificed your chance to have normal, _mortal _life. So many times, you proved worthy of that trust and that faith. I don't doubt that you were tempted to let the rest of us burn, but you didn't fall to that temptation. You were far stronger than I was, Jack, far stronger than any of us. I met you when you were mortal, and yes, you scared the hell out of me in our first meeting," Esther said, and shared a smile with Jack at that reminder, "but if you're afraid that I'll put you on a pedestal and expect you to be things you can't-I _won't_. I did that once, and it almost got you killed."

"Wait, how is that your fault? You didn't shoot me," Jack protested, careful to keep his voice low. Esther started to remind him of what led up to their flight from the compound and the CIA, but Jack continued, "Oh, no. No, no, no. If you're thinking that your discovery of that panel under Angelo's bed resulted in me getting shot, you are one hundred percent, no questions asked, _wrong_. Esther, have you been thinking all this time that you were to blame?"

Esther looked away, but Jack cupped her face and drew her attention back to him, forcing her to meet his eyes. She sighed quietly and said, "If I hadn't pushed about the floor, Director Shapiro wouldn't have found the panel, and you wouldn't have been shot. I should have listened to you, Jack." She didn't waste her breath on another apology. She knew how Jack felt about those. Instead, Esther continued, "I should have listened to you and I should have never tried to pressure you into telling Director Shapiro about it, much less using my sister and nieces."

"Hey," Jack told her, "Listen to me. You more than made up for all mistakes you made, Esther. Hell, when Shapiro showed up, he even told you that Rex told him that you did good in the field, even without any training. Why didn't you ever say something before? That was months ago!" Beyond the words, Esther saw hurt in his eyes. He thought he disguised it behind his concern for her and playful smile, but Esther knew him better than that and realized she hurt him.

"At first-at first it was because I wasn't thinking about anything other than getting away from the compound and taking care of you. You're a handful, you know," Esther replied. Jack mouthed, '_who, me_?' and shook his head, eyes brightening with suppressed laughter. Esther laughed with him, saying, "Oh yes, you! And then the Miracle wrapped up, I was held captive and then you rescued me. I really hadn't thought about it until this whole thing with the Tregarths, and I remembered how something so simple could snowball. And then I got to thinking about how you were shot, and how scared I was, and how stupid I was, just standing there with my hands in the air, not even trying to catch you or break your fall. . ."

Esther couldn't say any more, because Jack pulled her into his lap, cradling her against his chest. Finally feeling safe with his arms wrapped around her, she buried her face against his shoulder, allowing herself the release of tears. Jack whispered, "You don't have anything to apologize for, but if you need it, then you have my forgiveness." Esther clung to him, allowing his voice and his scent to soothe her. She wasn't surprised, because if there was anything she learned about the man now holding her, it was that Jack's capacity for forgiveness was nearly infinite.

TWTWTWTWTW

For the first time since losing consciousness as she held her newborn daughter, Sophia Tregarth awoke without someone there. At least, that was her first thought. However, as she gingerly sat up, Sophia came to realize that she wasn't alone at all: there was a tiny child in her room, about four or five years of age, watching her curiously. She smiled cautiously at the little one, saying, "Hello, I'm Sophia. Who are you?" The child moved further into the room, and now Sophia saw that it was a little girl before her. And that meant. . .

"My name is Ailsa Kerren Tregarth. 'Ailsa' means '_elf-friend_' in Scottish, did you know that?" the little girl asked as she approached the bed. Sophia's heart jumped into her throat. Ailsa. This was her granddaughter, this was Natalie's little girl! However, she nodded, and Ailsa continued very seriously, "And Mommy was gonna name me 'Kerensa,' 'cause Ganda is from a place way far away, Cornwall. But she thought 'Ailsa Kerensa' sounded funny, so she named me 'Ailsa Kerren,' and my first mommy didn't give me a name. She died when I was born, but first she gave me to Mommy."

"Hello, Ailsa Kerren Tregarth. My name is Sophia Imogen Wellington Tregarth. I know, that's a long name, isn't it?" Sophia asked softly. Her granddaughter nodded, her eyes almost comically wide. Ailsa wasn't born of Natalie's body, but in that moment, Sophia saw both of her aunts. Sophia continued after a moment, "Would you like to come up here and sit with me? It's been a very long time since I could hold my little girls, and they aren't little now." Ailsa needed only a moment to think that over, and then she was scrambling up onto the bed, before Sophia even had a chance to hold out her hand to her. Brave kid.

Once she was cuddled against Sophia on the bed, Ailsa confided, "Mommy says that I'm not s'posed to talk to strangers, but you can't be a stranger, 'cause you're in our house and have our last name." Sophia discovered that she couldn't argue with that logic, because her granddaughter was quite right on both counts. Ailsa went on blithely, "And 'sides, Miss Esther and Agent Rex and Mr. Jack aren't strangers, 'cause they live here, too, even though they don't have our last name. Mr. Jack's awful pretty, but I think he's scared of me." This was said with a bit of a pout. Sophia spent far too many years raising two young girls to dismiss her granddaughter's instincts.

However, she would worry about Jack's wariness toward Ailsa later. For now, she said softly, "I don't think he's exactly afraid of you, baby girl. More like he's afraid of hurting you. He's a big person, and you're a very little girl. What's your mama's name, sweetheart?" She knew, of course, but she needed a lead-in to tell this child how they were related. Maybe it would make the introduction easier with her older grandchildren, of which, she recalled Carlyon and her older girls saying, she had three: two grandsons, Jason and Lucas, and a granddaughter, Adriane.

"Her name is Natalie Sophia Tregarth! Hey! Her middle name is the same as your first name!" Ailsa blurted out excitedly. Sophia couldn't help but smile at the little girl. Apparently, she was as quick to make connections as her aunt Priscilla was. Ailsa all but squealed, her small body practically vibrating with excitement. Oh Lord, her baby girl had her hands full with this little one, but Sophia seriously doubted if Natalie wanted it any other way. Sophia knew that was how she felt about her own girls.

"Yes, it is. Would you like to know why we share a name?" Sophia asked and Ailsa bobbed her head so hard, she thought the poor child would give herself whiplash. Sophia leaned forward and whispered, "It's because I'm _her_ mommy." Ailsa's large brown eyes widened and her lips parted, and Sophia continued, "I was asleep for a very, **very** long time, because I was very sick. But I woke up this morning, and your mommy took care of me. She's very good at that." Once more, Sophia's youngest granddaughter tried to give herself whiplash.

"Yes, she is! Mommy's been sick today. Mr. Jack came and told me. He said that she wasn't feeling really good, so she was sleeping and Miss Esther was taking care of her," Ailsa said and Sophia smiled faintly. That actually sounded like Jack. Whatever the reason for his caution around her granddaughter, he also didn't want her to think that her mother forgot about her. Ailsa was silent for a moment, and then she asked, "What do I call you? And how come Mommy thought that Mama Priscilla was her mommy?" _Ooh. Sticky question_. How was the best way to answer this question? And then, something occurred to her. 'Mama Priscilla' was what her granddaughter called 'Cilla, because she and Nat believed that Priscilla was Nat's mother. _Oh. Oh, that might work_.

"Well, why don't you call me 'Mama Sophia,' sweetheart? Will that be easy for you to remember?" Sophia asked. This time, she received a bob of the head, rather than the dizzying, whiplash-inducing head-rattlers. Well, that was one thing settled. Sophia continued, "I was sick, like I told you, even sicker than Mommy is now. And I couldn't take care of your mommy, so Mama Priscilla did it instead. She did a very good job, I think." Actually, she thought 'Cilla did an outstanding job. The loss of her beloved and their unborn child could have broken Priscilla; but instead, she pushed past her grief and focused on raising her motherless baby sister.

"Does that mean you're gonna help me and Mama Priscilla and Miss Esther take care of Mommy?" Ailsa asked, looking up at Sophia. Oh, she had forgotten about that: people often spoke of how protective parents were of their children, and they were. But children were very protective as well, of their parents, of their siblings-whether older or younger-and of their friends. A few months before she fell ill, someone at school upset Priscilla, and her little sister vowed to beat their bum. Sophia remembered Jack leaving the room, trying desperately not to laugh. _Wanker, _she thought_._

"That's exactly what it means, Ailsa. I need to get a little stronger, and figure out how things will work between your mommy and me, but I will help take care of everyone. I _promise_," Sophia replied. Ailsa snuggled against her, and Sophia kissed the top of the little girl's head. She murmured, "And once Mommy is okay again, once she's back to being your mommy and my little girl, then we take care of Jack, and make sure he's okay." She hadn't missed the sadness in his eyes, a sadness that went far deeper than the man she remembered. A lot could change, could happen, in forty-five years. She only had to look at her husband and daughters.

"Taking care of Captain Harkness sounds like a family project to me," observed a voice from the doorway. Sophia looked up to see her husband and youngest daughter standing side by side. There wasn't the comfortable atmosphere that she noticed between her husband and their older daughters, but the worst of the tension was gone. Ailsa squealed with delight and vaulted off the bed, right into her mother's arms. Natalie laughed, the first time Sophia heard her youngest daughter's laughter, and scooped Ailsa up. Sophia drank in the sight of the pair together, smiling as Natalie pretended to gnaw on the side of her daughter's neck.

"You have _no_ idea, Natalie. There are times when I'd swear that man has no sense of self-preservation. Yes, Sophia, I'm aware of how silly that sounds," Carlyon huffed, clearly avoiding the subject of Jack's inability to die. Sophia merely smirked at him, while Natalie rolled her eyes with exasperation. Carlyon went on, "However, Ailsa, your grandmother is quite right. She and your mother need to discuss some things. And since Miss Esther needed a cuddle from Jack, I think you and I should look through Mama Priscilla's belongings. I think she has the best photo albums from when your mum was a little girl."

"I get to see Mommy when she was little?" Ailsa said, her eyes growing comically wide once more. Natalie blushed to the very roots of her hair, but she kissed her daughter's forehead and placed her on the ground. Carlyon took their granddaughter's hand and led her from the room, Ailsa chattering all the way. Apparently, she didn't often get to see pictures of her mother when she was a little girl. Sophia and Ailsa could look at those photo albums together, and Sophia could recapture those times of her daughter's life that she missed. For now, she would get to know the young woman now standing in front of her.

Sophia reached out her hand and said softly, "Come. Sit with me." Natalie stepped forward hesitantly, slim fingers enfolding Sophia's. The mother and daughter looked at each other for several moments, and Sophia murmured, "My beautiful little girl, all grown up." Natalie ducked her head, but Sophia was having none of that. With her free hand, she gently lifted her daughter's chin, murmuring, "You are beautiful to me, my Natalie. But. . .oh. Let me guess. When Jack wants to tease you, he calls you 'Nat-Nat-Natalie' or something similar?" Her daughter bobbed her head, still blushing, and Sophia continued with a laugh, "That's so like him. Probably started as a way to make you smile, and when it did, he continued with it."

"Pretty much. I. . .uhm. . .I want to apologize to you. Gr-I mean, Father and I talked things out, but I still owe you an apology. I should have thought before I opened the unit. I reacted, instead of thought, and that could have led to a worsening in your condition," Natalie said. Sophia, against all instincts, kept silent. Her daughter needed to get this out of her system. So far as Sophia was concerned, there was no need for Natalie to apologize, but she evidently didn't see it that way. Natalie added softly, "I'm sorry. Once I woke up, and thought things through, I realized how badly things could have gone. I could have killed you before. . ."

Her voice cracked, and Sophia had enough. She covered her daughter's lips with her fingers and said firmly, "No. You couldn't have. If you need my forgiveness, you have it, but I don't think you did anything to be sorry for. Natalie, sweetheart, there were no good solutions in this case. You could have followed protocol, but I was already terrified and panicking, with no way to communicate with you. Things went a lot faster than your father was anticipating, but you did the best you could under the circumstances, and sometimes that's all anyone can ask for. Okay?"

"Okay. Okay. Uhm, so, what do we do now?" Natalie asked softly. Ahh, that was the question, wasn't it? For all these years, Natalie thought that her older sister was her mother. Priscilla, in Natalie's heart, would probably always be her mother. Much as Sophia wanted to be Natalie's mom, as well as her mother, that wasn't in the cards. She couldn't be Natalie's sister or her aunt, and that left a huge question. There were times when she understood Jack's discomfort with labels, and this was one of them. Oh, she knew that's not what he meant, but the point remained.

With that in mind, Sophia answered quietly, "I know that in your heart, Priscilla will always be your mother, and not only is that okay, that's how it should be. I gave birth to you, but she has been your mother for nearly thirty-five years. On the other hand, you will always be my daughter. So, we find ourselves at an impasse. I won't ask if we can be friends. I _will_ ask if you will be my companion. I'll learn from you and you learn what you can from me. Jack. . .I don't know if you've had the opportunity to talk to Jack about his life before Torchwood, but he used to travel with someone called the Doctor. Torchwood considered him public enemy number one, but your father and I always loved hearing Jack's stories about being a Companion of the Doctor. In fact, I think that's why you were given that fob watch."

Natalie's eyebrows arched, and Sophia explained, "Since your father at least tried to stay on civil terms with UNIT, unlike his predecessors, they were more inclined to share information with us about the Doctor and his kind, the Time Lords. Time Lords could store their essence within a fob watch and hide from their enemies by passing as human. You were being hidden all this time as Priscilla's daughter, to shield you from your father's enemies."

"I. . .I never thought about why it was given to me. Gr-I mean, Father gave it to me when I graduated from college," Natalie replied, fingering the chain of her watch. She bowed her head, frowning thoughtfully. Sophia bit her lip, recognizing the expression with almost painful clarity. She should. She saw it often enough on the face of her younger sister Corinne. God, Corinne. Was she or Sophia's other siblings even still alive? She would have to find out about that later. If she knew Carlyon at all (and she did), he probably shut her siblings and mother out of the lives of their nieces after Sophia fell ill because they were a few reminders too many of Sophia herself. She would get Jack to help her with that.

"Would you like to hear about my sisters? I'm sure Carlyon has told you a little about his family, so would you like to hear about mine?" Sophia asked. Natalie's smile was like the sun coming up and she nodded eagerly. There would be time later to talk about Sophia's desire to give Natalie a birthday party. Right now, she was getting to know her youngest child, and that was far more important than anything else. After all, if she wanted to give her daughter a wonderful birthday party, she would have to know her. Otherwise, it wouldn't be about Natalie, but about Sophia, and that simply wasn't acceptable to her.

TBC


	6. Chapter Five:  What Has Been Lost

Author's Notes: Okay, everyone: make sure all hands and feet are inside the ride, this is where it gets really bumpy. Carlyon tells Sophia about everything that happened in 1965 (and I do mean everything), Jack is devastated by a secret that Carlyon has been keeping from him, Natalie gets the rug pulled out from under her again, and the Rift decides that Torchwood South has had long enough to prepare, it's time for a rumble.

Chapter Five

What Has Been Lost

While Sophia and Natalie became companions, the rest of the family continued with their work. Despite their desires, Priscilla and Octavia continued with their research. Lucas, Jason, Adriane and Agent Matheson came in from the bunkhouse, Agent Matheson commenting on a large blood stain remaining on the floor-no doubt from where Jack died protecting Nicky Halloran. And Carlyon spent his time with Ailsa, showing her pictures of her mother when she was a little girl. As he returned to the sitting room with his granddaughter, Sophia left the guest room under her own power, though not without help. About an hour after Carlyon entered the room with their youngest daughter, Sophia exited, leaning heavily against Natalie, and stopped at the sight of Esther in Jack's lap, her face buried against his neck. Sophia smiled softly, but that softness never reached her eyes. Softness didn't, but mischievousness did. _This should be entertaining_.

Carlyon, who was approaching from the opposite direction with the eternally-curious Ailsa, saw the wicked gleam in his wife's eyes. And then she winked at him, saying, "Oh, is that what I need to do to get a hug, Jack? Dye my hair blonde and de-age myself about fifteen. . .I mean, sixty years?" Esther's head came up so fast, Carlyon was afraid that she would break her neck. She looked at Sophia's impish expression, looked down at Jack, and then looked over his shoulder at Carlyon and Ailsa. She offered a wicked smile to the grandfather and granddaughter. However, she said nothing as she kissed Jack's forehead and slid from his lap, backing away a little. Sophia released her grip on Natalie and swatted at her daughter's hip. Natalie moved toward as Jack rose to his feet gracefully and sauntered over to Sophia. He didn't walk, he didn't stride, he sauntered. It was something about Jack that Carlyon envied and could never master.

"Not at all, Sophy. All you _ever_ have to do was ask," Jack purred as Natalie and Esther stood side by side. He gathered Sophia in his arms, pulling her against his chest, and holding her tightly. Sophia's arms wrapped around his waist in turn, and though Carlyon couldn't see it, he knew his wife was melting into their friend's embrace. His theory was borne out a moment later, when Sophia's fingers began stroking up and down Jack's spine. Carlyon remembered many, many nights when that caress drew a moan from Jack. No doubt the only reason it wasn't happening now was because there was a child in the room.

After a moment, Sophia drew back and slipped her hands up Jack's body to the nape of his neck, saying softly, "Well, that was very nice, Jack-but I happen to _know_ you can do better." With those words, she drew his head down for a bone-melting kiss with one hand, while the remaining hand slid back down to his bum. Natalie's jaw dropped, Esther only stared in amazement, while Ailsa bounced up and down beside Carlyon, clapping her hands happily. Carlyon doubted if the child understood what it meant, or if she understood that Sophia was his wife. She always reacted that way when she saw people kissing. It was an odd quirk of his youngest granddaughter, maybe because she never saw it at home.

"He's _kissing_ my mother. Or she's kissing him. One of the two. She initiated it, so I guess she kissed him, but he's _definitely_ not fighting her off," Natalie said, sounding awed. Ahh, that was true. Carlyon forgot that this was the first time his daughter saw this aspect of Jack, and his kissing Ianto Jones at the Rift Gate didn't really count. That was more of a good-bye kiss. And this wouldn't end with Sophia stabbing Jack to stabilize the Rift. Carlyon's wife never approved of using Jack because of his inability to stay dead, something that exasperated his counterpart in London. If nothing else, Carlyon was proud of Jack for cutting ties with One. But, he was proud of Jack for many reasons.

"He's saying '_hello_' to her. Or rather, she's saying '_hello_' to him," Carlyon explained as he and Ailsa moved to stand with Esther and Natalie. His daughter merely raised her eyebrows, and Carlyon added, "He's from the fifty-first century, you see, three thousand years in the future, and apparently, they're quite flexible in that time period." He could just see Natalie processing that bit of information before bobbing her head in acknowledgment. It was acknowledgment, he knew, not acceptance. She had a ways to go before she reached that level, but at least she wasn't throwing a strop-or as they said more locally, a hissy fit.

Sophia pulled back, smiling up at Jack, and murmured, "Oh, now that's more like it. There's the Jack Harkness I knew and loved so very much. It's _so_ good to see you again!" With that, she threw her arms around him in a fierce embrace that apparently temporarily took away his ability to breathe. Typical Sophia. His wife gave a small giggle and eased her embrace, saying, "Sorry. I'm gaining my strength back quicker than I realized. Or did you spare some of your life energy for me? You did, didn't you?" Carlyon couldn't see Jack's face, but he was quite sure that his old friend was smiling down at Sophia. She swatted his bum, saying, "You _goofball_!"

"This surprises you?" Carlyon asked, breaking up the reunion. Sophia poked her head around Jack's shoulder to look at him, and shook her head. Carlyon went on, "Now, I believe you expressed an interest in seeing photos from Natalie's childhood." Those specific words weren't said, but they didn't really need to be said, either. Sophia's last memory of Natalie was as a newborn and now she was three days from her thirty-fifth birthday. It went without saying that she wanted to see her daughter as she grew up. Sophia's eyes brightened and she nodded eagerly, pressing a quick kiss to Jack's mouth before she swatted his bum and released him.

"Yes! Ailsa, honey, did you wanna sit with us while we look at that pictures?" Sophia asked as Jack carefully guided her to the davenport where he was cuddling with Esther only a few minutes earlier. Carlyon stole a look at the young blonde girl, who was merely watching with an amused smile. Good. She wasn't jealous. Carlyon wasn't blind-Esther was as attracted to Jack as Natalie was, maybe even more so. That was very good.

"Yay-yay-yay!" Ailsa responded to her grandmother's invitation, and bounced (yes, bounced) over to the davenport, scrambling up beside Sophia. Then a very familiar, very devious expression crossed the child's face and she leaned over to whisper (loudly) to Sophia, "I think Mr. Jack should see the pictures as well, Mama Sophia!" Natalie's groan was barely audible and she face-palmed. Esther patted her shoulder consolingly, leaning forward to whisper (quietly) something to Nat. Whatever it was, it prompted a smile and Carlyon shuddered. Oh, that expression on Natalie's face was disconcerting-he saw it too many times on the face of his devious hellcat of a middle daughter.

"I think that's an outstanding idea, sweetheart. Why don't you check and see if it's okay for you to sit on Mama Sophia's lap, and then Captain Harkness-I mean, Mr. Jack-can sit beside you and Mama Sophia at the same time," Natalie suggested. Ailsa's face lit up and she proceeded to do what Lucas and Jason called her 'bobble-head impression.' Sophia immediately agreed, and Carlyon felt sorry for Jack, briefly. Nat and Esther began herding him toward the davenport, and once he was within grasping distance, Ailsa and Sophia pounced-Ailsa grabbed for Jack's fingers while Sophia grabbed his wrist. Carlyon bit back a smile. Poor Jack never stood a chance. Once he was sitting down beside Sophia, Ailsa promptly switched laps (nearly landing on some very sensitive equipment), and leaned over to peer at the pictures.

"You know, I _love_ old pictures. . .do you mind if I look at them, too, Natalie?" Esther asked guilelessly. Natalie blushed, and then that devious look came back. The blush was replaced with a wicked grin, and she nudged the young blonde toward the davenport. Esther skittered over to Jack's other side, effectively trapping him. Especially after Sophia moved the album so that it was draped over Jack and Ailsa. Jack mouthed, 'help me' over Ailsa's head, but didn't look terribly surprised when Carlyon shook his head with a broad grin. Oh, no. No, he rather thought that his wife and granddaughter had this situation well in hand!

TWTWTWTWTW

There were many days like that over the next few weeks, as Sophia regained more of her strength daily. And during that time, the Rift was blessedly quiet as the Tregarth family absorbed the most recent changes and Torchwood South got more of their systems up and running. Sophia was somewhat bemused when she learned just how elaborate some children's birthday parties were in the modern era, and looked more than a bit relieved when all three daughters admitted that they eschewed the elaborate parties for the parties they remembered from their childhoods.

There were some bumps in the road along the way as well: Esther's sister Sarah was finally informed that Esther was alive. It didn't go well, and as Esther feared, the news that Esther was alive sent Sarah spiraling out of control, shattering Esther's heart. She swung back and forth between accusing the messengers of lying and calling the Tregarth home at all hours of the day and night, wanting to talk to Esther, which normally disintegrated into Sarah screaming at Esther. After the third time such a call sent Esther to the bunkhouse to clean, Carlyon took what he called 'appropriate actions.'

Sophia was more concerned with Esther, whom she found sobbing into Natalie's sweatshirt after one of the last calls. Natalie knelt beside the blonde girl in the bunkhouse, murmuring softly as she rocked the younger woman side to side. Natalie raised her head as Sophia entered the bunkhouse, and the Tregarth matriarch almost took a step back: Natalie's hazel eyes burned with rage, even as she continued to gently rock Esther. At the same time, Carlyon made a few phone calls and by the end of the day, Alys and Melanie Drummond no longer lived with their mother. It seemed she was unstable at the best of times, and Carlyon told her that he feared for the safety of those girls. During Miracle Day, Sarah Drummond volunteered herself and her two daughters for the Category Zero list; it seemed likely to Carlyon that she would take her own life and the lives of her children. He would not permit that to happen. _One_, he said cryptically, _was more than enough_. Sophia didn't ask what he meant at the time. Perhaps she should have.

Esther was beginning to recover from her sister's meltdown when the next crisis hit. As the days passed, while Sophia got to know all three of her daughters all over again and met her three older grandchildren, she noticed her husband slowly withdrawing from both herself and Jack. And that, as ever, made her very suspicious, especially since Carlyon ignored all of her not-so-subtle hints about a threesome with Jack. Sure, Carlyon was eighty-nine and Sophia was technically in her eighties, but she was quite sure that Jack would be painfully gentle with them both. Perhaps if he simply said 'no' or told her that he would love that, but his heart probably wouldn't take it, she would have let it go. But he ignored it, and Carlyon knew better. Which meant something was going on, and he knew she wouldn't approve of how he handled it.

More to the point, he knew she wouldn't approve and feared her reaction when she found out whatever happened. And that didn't bode well for him, for her, or for Jack. Sophia just hoped this mess was just confined to the three of them, and the girls weren't dragged into it. It also didn't escape her notice that her granddaughter was absolutely right about Jack: her old friend was not comfortable around Ailsa, and kept his distance from Adriane as well. Sophia's oldest granddaughter regarded him with an equal amount of wariness, much to the consternation of the girl's mother. Sophia knew better than to ask Jack what was going on. No. No, if she wanted answers, she needed to go to the source. She needed to ask Carlyon, directly.

She chose a day when everyone was out of the house or otherwise occupied. Jack and the two boys were getting supplies in town in preparation for the visit of Jack's friends, Mickey and Martha Smith. The expectant parents would arrive the following day. Rex took Octavia out to lunch (interesting), and Priscilla was in town with her significant other (would she ever get used to these new terms?). Esther was in the bunkhouse (again) and Adriane was familiarizing herself with the base. Meanwhile, Natalie was upstairs in Ailsa's room, spending time with her daughter. Carlyon was in the cryo room when Sophia found him. He began cleaning the cryo room the day after she awoke, with the intended purpose to turn it into a storage room.

"So. Care to tell me what happened between you and Jack?" Sophia asked, watching her husband as he worked. He stopped-more to the point, he froze, and Sophia continued, "You see, I've seen the way you look at Jack, that combination of love and grief and guilt and sorrow. I see that same combination when you look at me, so I'm thinking that it has to do with my illness and the years I spent in the cryo unit." Carlyon was trembling and Sophia said softly, "My illness wasn't natural, was it, my love?"

"No. No, they were called the 456, because that was the frequency they used," Carlyon began. Sophia found a seat and sat down, gazing at her husband as he told her about her illness. She remembered very little of that time-just a nearly-mindless terror that her unborn baby wouldn't survive the illness. In some ways, hers was the easiest burden. Priscilla was fourteen, and understood far more than most adults realized. She found herself being both older sister and mother to her four year old sister, while trying to look after her father. This 456 evidently had an antidote for the illness, but there was a price. There was always a price. In return for the aforementioned antidote, the 456 wanted twelve children.

Twelve children to save the world. Twelve children to save the pregnant wife of Torchwood Three's director and their unborn child. Sophia closed her eyes, her mouth going dry. But Carlyon wasn't finished. She learned that before he left for a mission in Malta (that went spectacularly bad), Jack begged Carlyon to remember that appeasement never works, and to follow the example of Churchill, rather than Chamberlain. But his warnings fell on deaf ears, and when Jack returned, numb with shock and horror from whatever happened in Malta, it fell to him to help deliver those twelve children to the aliens. Sophia interrupted at that point, saying that she couldn't believe Jack would agree to that. And thus, she learned that when Jack balked at playing delivery boy, Carlyon unleashed Priscilla and Octavia on him. Oh yes. Her husband was quite capable of playing dirty when he wanted.

History would record that Jack Harkness was tapped for that distasteful duty because 'he didn't care.' The truth was, he cared entirely too much, but he was still reeling from the disaster in Malta, and then he suffered the slings and arrows of an angry, frightened fourteen year old girl who was terrified of losing her mother. But in the end, what pushed Jack into delivering those children was Carlyon threatening to give the duty to a rookie who had only been with Torchwood for six months. That broke Jack. But the antidote was turned over, the antidote that didn't work for Sophia and necessitated the cryo-unit. Carlyon fell silent, and Sophia said quietly, "That's not the whole story, is it? There is far more that you haven't told me yet."

"Not surprisingly, Jack was right. In 2009, the 456 came back, and this time, their demands were far worse. If we didn't turn over ten percent of our children, they would destroy the planet. And the governments of the world were going to simply do it. Just turn over ten percent of our children, our babies, to these things that used children to get high," Carlyon answered, nearly growling out the last few words. Sophia closed her eyes, feeling sick. That didn't get any better over the next few minutes, as Carlyon detailed for her what the British government did to ensure no one found out what they did in 1965, particularly what was done to Jack to keep him out of the way. In the end, the 456 were blown out of the sky, but there was a terrible price to be paid.

Earlier in the week, Jack's daughter and grandson were abducted as leverage against him. They were released, but for some reason, stayed. One of the scientists whom Torchwood One recruited so many years earlier took great delight in telling everyone how to destroy the 456: they would need to re-route the signal back through a child. Sophia started to interrupt, but Carlyon shook his head and told her, "The signal had to be re-routed back through a child, and that child would not survive. From what I was told, his exact words were, '_that child will burn_.' There was only one child at the compound: Jack's grandson Steven."

Sophia buried her face in her hands, weeping quietly for her friend as her husband intoned, "In the space of five days, Jack lost everything: his home, his lover, his daughter, his grandson. Everything. And the worst part, my love? The worst part is, none of it had to happen. He didn't have to lose any of the people he loved, he didn't have to lose his home, and he didn't have to leave Earth in order to heal." Sophia lifted her head, staring at her husband in shock. She would think about Jack leaving Earth later; although, she certainly couldn't judge him for that. Actually, she was kinda proud of him. In as much pain as he was after that mess, his ability to protect would have been compromised. She doubted if he would have seen it that way, but that made it no less true. She returned her attention to her husband. Carlyon's eyes, though, were fixed at a point somewhere over her head, not daring to look her in the eye. She found out why a moment later when he whispered, "We knew, back in 1965, how to deal with the 456, and we didn't do it. We left that out of the report we made to the Crown, and because of that, eleven children were turned over to intergalactic drug fiends."

"What?" Sophia gasped in horror, unable to comprehend what she was hearing. She was hearing the words, she was listening to what her husband was saying, but she couldn't for the life of her understand what he was saying. None of it was necessary? They knew in 1965 how do deal with these intergalactic thugs? There was a terrible roaring in her ears and her heart was pounding. With a mouth suddenly gone dry, Sophia rasped out, "What are you telling me, Carlyon? You knew all along? WHY?"

"Because each of the directors. . .a member of their family. . .each of us had a family member with the same illness as you. We could destroy the 456 or we could save our families. We, all four of us, chose to save those whom we loved. We thought we were entitled to that, entitled to save our families, after everything we'd done to protect the Earth. None of us wanted to believe that they'd come back," Carlyon replied simply. And it was that simple, except it wasn't. A little boy was dead, because four people ignored their obligations to the world. Carlyon went on, "Of course, you tried to warn me that the antidote wouldn't work for you, and you were right. I didn't understand how that could be, how you could know that, but you were right-and you spent decades in a coma as a result." Sophia wasn't aware of much at the time, but she did know that the antidote wouldn't do anything for her.

The husband and wife sat in silence for several moments as Sophia struggled to process everything she learned during the last few minutes. _Oh, Jack_. The mother in her recoiled at the choice Jack made nearly three years earlier, but. . .oh God. She knew from Carlyon's narrative that if the 456 wasn't wiped out and the children weren't turned over, they would have destroyed the Earth. Sophia bowed her head. She wished so much he could have found another way, but as she well knew, sometimes, there were no good choices open to you. And what was worse, no matter how much she hated it, she knew that she would have done the exact same thing. Carlyon laughed humorlessly, drawing Sophia's attention back to him, and he said, "Do you know what the ultimate irony was? That child, Jack's grandson, wouldn't have existed if Jack hadn't agreed to take on the delivery in 1965." What? What was he talking about? Carlyon explained, "That rookie I threatened to send if Jack didn't accept the mission? Her name was Lucia Moretti, and she was the grandmother of Steven Carter, the mother of Jack's child."

Sophia actually felt ill. Carlyon added softly, "She was never really strong enough for Torchwood. Do you know, it's hard to tell at first? Who is strong enough for Torchwood and who isn't? The ones whom you would think are strong enough end up being pathetic, and the ones who seem to be too soft turn out to be anything but. Lucia wasn't strong enough for Torchwood. She wasn't even strong enough to love Jack." Sophia chose not to ask what that meant. There were too many people, such as that Agent Johnson Carlyon mentioned, saw him as a thing, rather than a human being.

Instead, she asked softly, "So, what happens now?" She couldn't deal with the revelation about Lucia Moretti (whom she never really liked, but wasn't sure if Carlyon was right about)-she was still too busy trying to come to terms with everything else. How in the hell did Jack come to terms with what he had to do? She knew that he could forgive anyone except himself, and even that was possible with enough time. Even once he found out what Carlyon had done, he would likely forgive her husband as well. Oh, he'd be furious and devastated and sick that neither his lover nor his grandson had to die, but in the end, he would tell himself that it was he, Jack, who made that decision, not Carlyon.

"That depends entirely on you, my love. You see, I've known all along just how angry you would be with me, once you learned the truth," Carlyon replied. Sophia huffed just a little, both amused and irritated. Right now, she was entirely too numb to be angry. It was just. . .**God**. There was so much to sort through! Although he was right-once she finished processing everything she learned in the last few hours, she'd be furious with him. She'd be beyond furious with him, and yes, she was a little upset with Priscilla as well. But really, could she blame a fourteen year old child for reacting as Priscilla evidently did to the possibility of losing a parent? Priscilla was a child at the time, but Carlyon was an adult.

"I don't know, Carlyon. Dear God, no wonder Jack has been so uncomfortable around Ailsa! Does Natalie know about any of this?" Sophia asked. She couldn't imagine how Natalie would have reacted to what Jack had to do. On the one hand, she was (technically speaking) a civilian, but Priscilla and Octavia raised her. She was a mother, and likely would have been horrified, but was she sensible enough to understand that Jack's choice, as horrific as it was, saved her own child? Maybe not this year or the next, but sooner or later, Ailsa would have been 'eligible' for the tribute, and that was exactly what those children were. And how did it affect Natalie's ever-growing attraction to Jack? Because oh, yes, just as Sophia suspected from the beginning, her baby girl was overwhelmingly attracted to her dear friend.

"She knows about the 456 and what Jack had to do, and she understands why Jack is uncomfortable around Ailsa. And she sees a man when she looks at him, a man and not a monster," Carlyon replied quietly. Sophia bobbed her head numbly. Good. That was good. Jack would punish himself more than anyone else ever could. It was something she learned about him early on. He wore a mask to protect himself, a necessity with his extra long life. Carlyon added after a moment, "There's something else you need to know. Jack finally found his Doctor in 2007. In the final battle as the Doctor's companion, when Jack sacrificed his life to stop the Daleks, the Doctor's other companion unleashed a power. She-she couldn't bear the thought of Jack being dead, and so she brought him back. She brought him back forever. It-the Doctor told him that he might well be there at the end of the universe."

Forever? Literally forever? Oh, she didn't want to believe that! The idea that her friend would literally live forever-did this girl, whoever she was, realize what she had done? Carlyon went on slowly, "Jack is a fixed point in time in space. He is a Fact. I can't imagine what that would do to a human being, even one from the fifty-first century like Jack. For all his upgrades, so to speak, he is still a human being." Sophia was still trying to come to terms with the first part of what her husband said. Jack would live forever, maybe even when the last star went out? She shuddered. What a horrible thought! She didn't want to think about Jack dying for good, but she also didn't want him to live forever.

At last, she asked hoarsely, "Is there anything else I need to know?" She knew about Miracle Day. Her children, all three of them, told her about that, as did her husband. All right, Carlyon outlined it for her, while her daughters took turns filling in the blank spaces. They also told her about the Earth being moved out of its orbit and the murderous overgrown tea kettles, which were responsible for Jack's first death, more than a hundred thousand years in the future. She even learned about the disaster that was Canary Wharf. Sophia couldn't remember if she heard of Cybermen before now, but they sounded even more horrifying than Daleks.

Carlyon sighed deeply. That worried her, but he said, "No. No, you know everything. At least, about the 456. There are other things, but those can wait. You know about the 456, you know about that woman." Ahhh, yes, that awful tape she insisted upon listening to the day she woke up from her decades-long nap. It was telling to her that for his own part, her husband insisted that no one speak of the woman in question by name. It was an instruction that Jack ignored, but it was about what she expected from him. Carlyon sighed again, drawing Sophia's attention once more, and this time, she saw just how exhausted he was. Frowning, Sophia glanced down at her watch and discovered that more than three hours passed since they came inside.

It was for that reason she said softly, "Are you all right, Carlyon?" His head came up and he stared at her in shock. Sophia allowed herself a small smile, observing, "Oh, believe me, I am furious with you for all of this. But I love you, and I won't have you putting your health at risk, with the mistaken notion that it's atonement for what you did to Jack. You look exhausted and I know it's been at least five hours since you ate." Carlyon actually seemed to break at that. He stumbled out of his chair and before Sophia could protest, he fell to his knees in front of her and laid his head in her lap. Sophia blinked back tears at the oh-so-familiar tableau and began stroking her fingers through her husband's iron-gray hair.

"I never imagined that you would forgive me. Oh, you haven't yet, but you just told me that you will. I had to tell you first, even before I told Jack. I knew that I had to atone for what I did to him, the hell I dumped on his shoulders, but I wanted to tell you first. I just never thought that I would need to tell you only two weeks after you woke up. I couldn't tell Priscilla or Octavia, much less Natalie," Carlyon whispered. Sophia shuddered. _Oh God_. She couldn't imagine having to tell her youngest daughter.

"We have to tell them, though, Carlyon. Much as I hate the idea of telling Natalie about this, we have to. We have to tell all the girls at some point, and somehow, we have to find a way to tell Jack. I know, we'll break his heart all over again, but if we don't tell him, he'll find out on his own, and that will make it a thousand times worse," Sophia whispered, blinking back tears. One escaped anyhow and rolled down her cheek. Carlyon closed his eyes, but nodded. She thought the crisis was over; the truth was, it was only beginning.

She learned that when a quiet, flat voice said from the doorway, "We already know." Sophia looked up to find her youngest daughter and oldest friend standing side by side. Natalie was ashen, her eyes wide with horror. Her fingers were interlaced tightly with Jack's. Sophia swallowed hard and transferred her attention from her Natalie to Jack and immediately wished that she hadn't. If Natalie was ashen, then Jack was deathly pale. The last time she saw him that pale was six months before she fell so ill, when she and Priscilla found him in London after those monsters decided to experiment on him. Pale as the moon, pale as death.

However, his voice was calm (far too calm) as he said, "I know it's said that eavesdroppers never hear well of themselves, but I don't think that's what they had in mind. There's a Rift spike which should be investigated. I'll be back in a few hours." With those words, and an awful emptiness in his eyes, Jack turned and walked away from the room. Natalie paused just long enough to give Sophia an apologetic look, and then she chased after him. Carlyon choked back a sob and dropped his head back into Sophia's lap. She could only close her eyes and pray that her baby girl could be whatever Jack needed right now. . .and that her friend would return to them.

She didn't place much hope in either possibility.

TWTWTWTWTW

Every day, Natalie tried to make sure she had two or three hours to devote to her daughter and only to her daughter. Whether it was reading to her or playing with her dollies or something else, she wanted to spend time with Ailsa without work interfering. Thus was the case on this particular day. Three hours of doing all of the above, and then it was time for Ailsa's nap. After her little girl's toys were picked up, Natalie tucked her daughter under the covers and kissed her hair softly. She waited a few more minutes, until her baby was asleep, before she quietly slipped from the room. It was her intention to find Jack and ask him if there was anything more she could do for Esther. Yes, in the weeks since her mother's awakening, 'Captain Harkness' gave way to 'Jack,' for both Natalie and Ailsa. At the urging of the immortal, Ailsa dropped the 'Mister' and just started calling him 'Jack.' Just before she dropped to sleep, the little girl asked drowsily if she could start calling Esther 'Aunt Esther' instead of 'Miss Esther.' Natalie assured her that she would ask Esther about it. But right at that moment, she was more concerned with Esther's mental state.

She met Jack on the way to the cryo room. And she wasn't sure which of them fell silent first, which one of them started listening first. She was raised better than that, but when she started to leave, it wasn't as easy as she thought. Sometime while they listened, her hand snaked into Jack's and now he was holding onto her hand with an unbreakable grip. So she stayed, and she listened, and she learned that she was living a life meant for someone else. That someone else was Jack's grandson, the grandson whom he. . . And Natalie's mind shied away from that once more, because she couldn't bear to think about it, coward that she was.

But she listened to every word her parents said, about the actions that should have been taken back in 1965 (did the Queen know about this? Unlikely, since a report was mentioned, a report which left out the necessary actions). And she held onto Jack's hand, because she didn't know what else to do. She couldn't say anything, because her throat felt paralyzed. She was living someone else's life; if she was honest with herself, she should have been the one to die, rather than Steven Carter, Jack's grandson. If she was honest with herself, she would admit that she didn't know how she felt about that or how she was supposed to feel.

And truly, she wasn't sure if she was holding Jack's hand to support him-or because if she released him, she would collapse to the ground. Too much, too much, too much! When her mother said, "We have to tell them, though, Carlyon. Much as I hate the idea of telling Natalie about this, we have to. We have to tell all the girls at some point, and somehow, we have to find a way to tell Jack. I know, we'll break his heart all over again, but if we don't tell him, he'll find out on his own, and that will make it a thousand times worse," Natalie knew that she had to say something, say anything, because they knew. It was already too late.

In the calmest voice she could muster, she announced, "We already know." Her mother raised her head, tears streaking her face. Natalie couldn't have said who looked more horrified: Gr-father or Sophia. And still, her fingers remained interlaced with Jack's. Right now, it felt as if neither could let go, and she wasn't sure who was whose lifeline at this moment. She couldn't bear to look at her mother's horrified expression any longer, and so she looked up at Jack for the first time since these revelations were made. She immediately she hadn't. Just as 'anxious' wasn't a good look for him, neither was 'empty.' And that was what she saw when she looked in his eyes: a terrible, endless emptiness. And he was pale. He was so pale.

And his voice was eerily calm when he added, "I know it's said that eavesdroppers never hear well of themselves, but I don't think that's what they had in mind. There's a Rift spike which should be investigated. I'll be back in a few hours." He very gently released Natalie's fingers (which were now numb), and then Jack turned away. He stalked (not walked, not strode, not sauntered) from the room. She had a decision to make at that moment. Natalie sent her mother an apologetic, sympathetic look, before racing after the shell-shocked immortal.

"Jack, let me come with you! Someone should be watching your back!" Natalie told him as she caught up with him. Even before the words were out, he was shaking his head. But it wasn't just his head; it seemed as if his entire body was shaking. Or was he shivering? Natalie remembered how she felt after she learned of Ethan's betrayal. She literally felt cold, had to crawl under the blankets until she warmed up again. That was bad enough, learning about Ethan's attempt to ruin her life, but this was by far worse. How could Jack bear to look at her; really, how could he bear at any of them?

However, he said quietly, "No. No, I have to do this alone, Natalie. Listen to me, _please_!" The plea in his voice stopped her just as sure as his hands on her shoulders did. She stared up into his eyes, and Jack continued softly, "Right now, I can't trust myself with the life of anyone else. I can come back from whatever happens to me, but you won't. If you die, then you stay dead. And if you come with me, you have no way to protect yourself if I get killed. You're not cleared for field duty yet, Natalie, please. . .please stay here. If you really want to help me, stay here and look after Esther. She's been having trouble with the reports coming in from the Hallorans. You know the area better than she does. Please?"

Natalie took a deep breath and nodded, raising her hands to cover his. Both were silent for several moments. There were so many things Natalie wanted to say to this man. On Natalie's birthday, her mother took her aside and very gently asked if she was attracted to Jack. Her first instinct was to laugh it off, to deny it. But her mother-her birth mother-had a way of looking at her as if she was seeing into Natalie's very soul, and the newly-minted thirty-five year old found that she couldn't lie to this woman, any more than she could lie to the woman who raised her.

The answer, of course, was 'yes,' not that it really mattered, because a man as handsome (or beautiful or gorgeous or whatever superlative you wanted to use) as Jack Harkness would never give a little nothing like Natalie Sophia Tregarth a second glance. Life didn't work that way. However, she admitted the truth to the woman who gave birth to her. Things weren't that easy, not with Jack. As she searched for something to say to this man, her mind just kept coming back to two words. She took a deep breath and began, "I'm. . ."

She never finished that sentence. Jack released her shoulders and pressed his fingers against her lips, shaking his head. Those lovely eyes of his were filling with tears, but he whispered, "Don't. **Please**, don't finish that sentence. You're the last person who should say those words, much less to me." Natalie swallowed hard, closing her eyes, and nodded. When she opened them again, Jack smiled down at her sadly and whispered, "Thank you." He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, and then released her. Nat stared after him. She had no idea what prompted her next action, but she would never regret it.

"Jack!" she called out, and took just enough steps to bring her hand within range of his wrist. She caught it easily and he turned to face her, looking surprised. Natalie took the few remaining steps and threw her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. There was a very brief hesitation, and then his arms closed around her in turn, holding her just as tightly. Natalie closed her eyes, because oh, God, it felt good. But she knew it wouldn't last and she whispered, "Be careful. Please. I know you'll die to save others if you have to, but please be careful!"

There was a soft kiss pressed to the top of her head and Jack whispered, "No promises, but I'll do my best. Nat, try to forgive your father." Natalie merely tightened her arms, because like Jack, she could make no promises. Right now, she felt as though she was freefalling, and only Jack's instructions to take care of Esther kept her from feeling totally out of control. She needed to take care of Esther, and she needed to look in on her daughter. Her daughter. Her Ailsa. Her Ailsa, who was alive because of this man and the choice he made nearly three years earlier, a choice he should have never had to make. But he made it, he was finding a way to live with it, and now, Natalie had to do the same.

"No promises," she said hoarsely into his chest, "but I'll do my best." There was a soft huff of laughter over her head at her throwing his own words back in his face. Jack gave her a small squeeze, and then released her. She stepped back and Jack stared at her for a long time. And then, he gave her a small smile, a single determined bob of his head, and he strode from the house. From her position just outside the room that housed her mother for so long, Natalie heard Octavia flirting with Rex, and Jack's announcement that he was investigating a Rift spike. He would be taking one of the ATV's. She closed her eyes, quietly praying that her new commanding officer would return to them on his own two feet.

After a moment, she squared her shoulders. She had work to do. Jack was a resourceful man. She just had to have faith in him.

To be concluded in the epilogue, which is told from Jack's point of view and sets up the next story, entitled '_The Homecoming_.'


	7. Epilogue:  Let's Dance!

Author's Notes: Before anyone frets about the situation I've left Jack in, please know that the first few chapters of the next story are already written, and the prologue of that story, _The Homecoming_ will be posted later today, after I've made sure there are no discrepancies or continuity errors (yes, I began _The Homecoming_ before I even finished _Torn Asunder_. When you get there, you'll understand why). As I said, this epilogue has Jack trying to come to terms with the revelations in the previous chapter, as well as a few other unpleasant things. We have more divergence from what we saw in _Miracle Day_ in this section as well.

Epilogue

"Let's Dance!"

Tregarth Homestead, Oklahoma

Second week of November, 2011

Ianto didn't have to die.

Steven didn't have to die.

Oh God. What was he supposed to _do _with this? Jack barely managed to get out of the house and to the ATV before the little he'd eaten that day tried to make a return appearance. He braced himself against the old stables as dry heaves shook his body. Ianto didn't have to die. Steven didn't have to die. He leaned his forehead against his hand, fighting back tears. Jack thought he came to terms with the events of those five awful days. Apparently, he was wrong. When the 456 returned, nearly three years earlier, he only gave his remaining team the bare bones of what happened, because regardless of what happened or how it happened, he should have done more to change Carlyon's mind. Should have done … something.

The heaves finally eased, leaving Jack trembling and aching. He shivered, wishing he thought to grab his greatcoat on the way out of the house. . .huh? A small figure trudged toward him in the gathering dusk, and as it got closer, he saw that it was Natalie Tregarth. He opened his mouth, to remind her that she couldn't go with him this time and maybe make a comment of some kind about how he'd like to have her watch his back one of these days, but Natalie shook her head. In her arms, she held a bundle, a bundle which Jack recognized as his greatcoat. She very gently placed the greatcoat in his arms, smiled at him sadly, and then retreated back into the house. She never said a word. Jack watched her go and then slipped the coat on. In one of the pockets, he found a small water bottle and a note.

'_Jack, I know you told me not to say I'm sorry, so I won't. But I don't imagine you'll be feeling too good, so here is a bottle of water. Call me if you need me, and I'll come out in my Patriot to get you. I can't say what you need to hear, and I don't think I can be what you need me to be, but I'll be there as best as I can. Yours, Nat-Nat-Natalie_.' Jack couldn't help but smile at his playful nickname for the youngest Tregarth girl, a smile that died as he thought once more of the conversation he and she just overheard. No. No, he couldn't start that again. Instead, he settled on the ATV, making sure that his coat was tight around his body. That would be embarrassing, dying because part of his greatcoat was pulled into the machinery.

As he rode out to the Rift, his nerves began to settle down, with considerable assistance from the cool wind in his face and body. It got cold in Oklahoma in the winter, Natalie said several weeks ago, and he was starting to learn she was one hundred percent correct. As much as he may have wanted to be angry with Carlyon, Jack knew that when all was said and done, it was he who made the decision to sacrifice his grandson, not Carlyon. And it was Jack whom Ianto followed into Thames House, not Carlyon; just as it was Jack who failed to tell Ianto that he loved him as the latter lay dying. But none of that eased the anguish he now felt.

However, any thoughts of the recent revelations were quickly overshadowed when his VM led him not to the site where he saw Ianto for the very last time, but to an out of the way bar. Jason and Lucas brought him here once. . .they drove on the way, and he drove coming back. Evidently, Carlyon neglected to mention that it was very, very hard to get him drunk (something which made the con he ran against the Families far easier than he anticipated). It took the boys several days before they could look him in the eye again. Jack didn't know why. They certainly didn't act any worse than any other kid in his early twenties did.

What really concerned him right now? There were two things. First, he didn't like the idea that the Rift extended to a bar. He met the majority of the neighbors, and he liked them for the most part. They were typical of twenty-first century humans, but they were good people and inclined to look after each other. Still, alcohol and the Rift didn't mix well. The second thing that concerned him was an all-too-familiar form that was breaking apart, just ahead of him. He was even more concerned after each of those sections dove into four humans heading for the bar. One of those men was none other than Matthew Halloran. Jack swore under his breath. Oh, he knew exactly what those things were (Kinickkinock was the best a human tongue could manage of their species name), and he knew what it meant for the bar, for the entire town. The town was a good distance away, and the entity was too much of a control freak to use the cars. This meant Jack had a chance to save the people in the bar.

As each of the men rose to their feet rather awkwardly, Jack braced him for an encounter that was likely to be very unpleasant. The last time he encountered these beings, it didn't end well for them. It didn't end especially well for him, either, but they definitely ended up with the worse end of the deal. They remembered things like that. Even so, better him than the innocent people inside the bar who would be easy pickings for these things. He kinda liked this town, and the people in it, and if these parasites had their way, there would be a mini-Civil War here. With that in mind, he called out, "Hey, boys, long time no see! Still taking over the bodies of indigenous life forms, I see. As I recall, that didn't work so well for you the last time we met." The thing controlling Matthew Halloran turned haltingly to face Jack, sneering. Oh yeah. This was definitely not going to be one of Jack's better nights. Well, there was no help for it. And while he could have used the back-up, Natalie was far safer back at the house, as were the others.

"Harkness! Still protecting this mudball, even after they tried to destroy you, I see," the thing hissed through Matthew's lips. Oh, this wouldn't do, not at all; especially not after the thing laughed, "Oh, I also see that this one likes you. I wonder what would happen if he knew what you really are." Jack merely smiled, tracking the four puppets that were gathering closer. Matthew Halloran. Charles Havelock. Daniel Collins. Everett Wainwright. Jack frowned, because there was one missing from the usual group. . .

But he had no time left to wonder or worry, because the thing controlling Matthew threw the first punch. For the next several minutes, Jack traded blows with the four, the location of the fifth nagging in the back of his mind. As one after another went down, that nagging feeling grew. But it wasn't until three were down that the fifth made his appearance. Unfortunately, Jack didn't see the fifth (Darius Kimball) because he was busy fighting with Matthew.

And Darius chose to make his presence known by slamming something large and heavy into Jack's kidneys, knocking him forward and leaving him breathless from the pain. And oh, hell, it hurt so damn much! He was vaguely aware of the other three men rising to their feet, surrounding him, and the fact that he was in very serious trouble. He didn't fight back against Oswald Danes' two bodyguards/goons, because it would have ruined his cover. And this beating looked like it would be a helluva lot more painful. But he would be damned if he would simply give up. He didn't have any illusions about his chances, five against one, but he also knew he wouldn't give up without a fight. One of the men kicked him hard in the ribs, while Kimball clubbed him again, this time in the back of his head.

Even so, Jack pushed himself to his feet once the stars cleared from his vision, one arm braced against his injured ribs. He shook his hair away from his eyes, offered up a feral smile, and growled at the five men, "All right, then, boys. You wanna dance? Let's dance!"

Fin


End file.
